Fire Emblem If Revised
by wyattharto8
Summary: Which path shall you choose? Will you side with Nohr, Hoshido, or perhaps choose neither? No matter what path you chose, Teale will have a fate of his own, whether it be standing with or against his brother Corrin. Spoilers for all three games, since this story will follow three different paths. I do not own Fire Emblem Fates, just my own character I created for this story
1. The Path is Yours

"You are an ocean of waves..." A soft voice sang as its owner looked out the window. Amber eyes watched the dark skies shift as he put a black circlet on his head, curly locks of sky blue hair barely shifted under its weight. Pulling on his fingerless gloves, the boy strapped his trusted sword against his waist as someone knocked on the door.

"Brother, Felicia and Flora told me you came here late last night!" A familiar voice said from behind the bedroom doors. Shaking his head, the blue haired boy opened his door, smiling at the visitor. "So you are here, Teale!"

Teale shook his head. "Yeah, I would have said something earlier, but I did arrive late last night, nearly everyone was asleep by the time I stopped. It's been a while since I've seen you last, Corrin. You look well."

"I heard you singing and thought you would be awake in time to see Xander and I train together, if you'd like to join me." Shutting the door behind the two, they started walking down the dark hallways of the fort. "You sing that song often, how long have you known it?"

"I've told you once, and I'll tell once more, I learned it when I was child. My mother taught it to me." Slinging an arm around Corrin's shoulders, Teale sighed. "You never seem to remember what I tell you, in one ear and out the other!"

"I remember, I just hope that the next time I ask, you'll tell me more about it!" Corrin protested, a smile on his face.

"So, you said that you're training with Xander then? I don't know why you bothered bringing me along, I don't need it near as much as you do. I can actually beat Xander, unlike some of us. Though, I do appreciate you getting me out to see you lose."

Corrin wrinkled his nose. "You and Xander are older, remember? And how can I believe that you can beat our older brother if I haven't seen you fight?"

"Either you never pay attention like always or you're never there. One day you'll spar against me, don't worry." Putting his free hand on his belt, Teale and Corrin continued to walk towards the training grounds. As they walked outside, Xander and Leo were already waiting for them.

"There you are. And you decided to drag Teale out of bed?" Leo asked, crossing his arms as he looked at his brothers. "You got back late last night, why don't you go back to bed?"

Teale shook his head. "I was already awake when Corrin came by. Besides, I want to see if he's improved since I've been gone."

"Of course I've gotten better, just you watch, brother!" Corrin chimed before following Xander out to the empty lot before the young princes.

"Has he really gotten better, Leo?" Teale asked as he fixed the mage's backwards collar.

"Yes, he has. Maybe when we go to see Father, he'll send Corrin on a mission like the rest of us. Speaking of which, how did yours go?"

"It went fine. Just me fighting, like always." The blue haired boy responded, crossing his arms as Leo stood next to him. "It didn't go as smoothly as I wished it to go. Something's been on my mind recently."

"And what is that?"

Teale sighed. "I can't really explain it. There's just a weird feeling in my stomach, telling me that something will happen soon."

"Maybe you're sleep deprived?" Leo offered. "I know you didn't sleep last night after your arrival."

"Am I that bad of a liar?"

"No, one of my retainers told me so." The simple answer made Teale squint his eyes at Leo. "Odin was patrolling and heard you rummaging around in your room not even a few hours ago."

Teale turned his eyes to Xander and Corrin as he thought to himself. Odin was a rather colorful character, but sometimes the way that he spoke gave Teale headaches, compared to Niles' mannerisms, which gave him a migraine. Honestly, none of his siblings retainers were too normal, which was alright. If you start gathering people that were too much alike, it would get boring quickly, and there was nothing boring about Xander's retainer flirting with every woman he saw. Shaking his head, Teale smiled as he saw Corrin land a hit on their older brother, who kneeled to the ground.

"See that, brother? I have improved!" Corrin yelled as he quickly turned towards Leo and Teale.

"I do see. You did very well today, Corrin." He praised, a small smile on his face as Xander and Corrin walked over to them.

"Teale!" A chipped voice made the four princes turn around, the blue haired boy turning just in time to feel someone collide with his stomach. Groaning, he put his arms around Elise as she hugged him. "Ellie told me you came back, I can't believe you didn't come to see me!" Elise said, her voice muffled by Teale's shirt.

"I'm sorry, Elise. I got back late last night and assumed you were already in bed, so I just returned to my room for the night. Am I forgiven?" Teale asked with a small smile.

Elise looked up at him, humming in thought before smiling. "I guess this one time!" Letting go of her brother, the youngest princess clasped her hands behind her back. "I thought you needed to see Father after your mission was over, why did you stop here?"

The mere thought of their father made Teale want to grimace, but he refrained from doing so. "I stopped by to get some rest before heading to the castle, and Corrin got me out of bed to watch him and Xander spar this morning. I planned on leaving soon afterwards." Teale turned to Corrin with a grin on his face. "Did you want to come with?"

"You're serious?" Corrin blanched, continuing once Teale stuck his tongue out from between his teeth. "My gods! Yes! Let's get going!"

* * *

The trip back to the Capital of Windmire was truly an experience, to say the least. Between Elise's laughter, Corrin and Leo's babbling, and Xander's scolding, Teale was glad that he was talking to Camilla most of the way home. Once there, the siblings walked through the old castle, their father standing outside as he waited for them.

"I see you made it here safely, Corrin." Garon said as he spotted his children.

"Yes, Father. Long have a wished to see you and visit Castle Krakenburg again. I feel like I'm dreaming..." Corrin responded, a small smile on his face.

"It is only thanks to your diligence that you are here. I am told you are now a warrior almost on par with Xander. You finally possess the strength to be an instrument of Nohr's power in the world." Garon continued, making Teale clench his teeth together.

"But, Father, will he be all right outside the fortress?" Elise questioned.

Camilla nodded. "I worry about that as well. Isn't it dangerous for Corrin to live outside the fortress's magical barrier?"

"I appreciate your concern, but I earned my way here and I'm ready to fight." Corrin responded.

Garon didn't even bat an eye as he continued. "Corrin, as you know, Nohr is at war with the eastern kingdom of Hoshido."

"Yes, Father. I have heard as much."

"We of the royal family are descendants of the ancient gods, the First Dragons. As inheritors of that divine strength, we conquer those who oppose us with ease. One who learns to wield that power can destroy an entire army of common troops. Xander, Teale, Camilla, and Leo have already shown that they possess this power. I expect no less from you."

"I am aware of your expectations, Father. And I have trained every day to become more like my siblings." Corrin stated calmly.

Garon hummed. "You show promise. But you will need a suitable weapon in order to serve Nohr." A purple light emitted in front of Corrin as a dark sword appeared.

"Wow..." The boy marveled at the weapon in front of him.

"This is Ganglari, a sword infused with magic from another world. With this sword at your side, you will crush the Hoshidan army with ease."

Corrin grabbed the sword and smiled. "Thank you for this generous gift, Father."

"Hmm... Generous indeed." Xander commented quietly as Teale agreed with him, eyes narrowed in thought. He didn't remember getting any kind of gift, much less a sword, from his father. The only sword he had was Mercym, a gift from his mother when he was a young child.

"Now, let us see you put that sword to proper use... Bring out the prisoners!" The king ordered as Nohrian soldiers complied to his words.

"Prisoners?" Corrin turned around as a green haired ninja and an white haired woman with red markings on her cheeks were forced out with weapons in their hands.

"These are prisoners from out most recent skirmish with Hoshido." Garon explained. "I want to see your power with my own eyes. Use that sword to strike them down."

Standing off to the side, Teale put a hand to his chin as he watched Gunter and Felicia join him in the fight. Two more prisoners were forced out as his brother and retainers readied themselves for battle. "I don't like where this is going..." He mumbled to himself.

"Nor do I." Teale looked up to see Camilla standing beside him with her arms crossed. "Knowing our Corrin, he wouldn't kill those Hoshidans no matter what orders he got."

"He's always been that way. He's a kind soul, but there isn't really a place for that in war." Teale responded as he watched Corrin activate a Dragon Vein, debris flying out of an old courtyard.

Tuning out any outside noises, Teale tried to gather his memory of events that went on during his mission as he mentally made out a report to their father. Within no time, the prisoners were defeated, and just as Camilla predicted, Corrin stood against executing the Hoshidans.

"I won't argue the point any further." Garon said, anger clear on his face. Lifting his hand, he cast fire upon the prisoners, nearly setting Corrin on fire with them. The king went to cast another round of fire, but Corrin swiftly blocked it from hitting the green haired ninja.

"Corrin! What are you-" Elise's eyes widened as she watched her brother.

"Unbelievable..." Xander muttered as he shook his head.

"You would defy me directly, Corrin?!" Garon roared out in anger.

"Father, please forgive him! He doesn't yet understand out situation..." Xander tried to reason.

"Fine, Xander, you kill them. And if anyone gets in your way, kill them too." Garon ordered, surprising all of his children. Xander hesitated, only infuriating their father more. "DO IT! KILL THEM ALL!"

Xander walked down with Siegfried in his hand as he faced his brother. "Stand down, Corrin. If you don't, I will be forced to-"

"No, Xander!" Corrin interrupted. "I won't let you do this!" The two started to swing at one another, Corrin blocking any attacks.

"Why do you refuse, Corrin? You know the Hoshidans are our sworn enemies."

"I know but... this is different. These people can't fight anymore. Why not show mercy?" Corrin argued.

"Please, Corrin, don't fight him... My dear, sweet Corrin..." Camilla softly said to herself as she hugged herself.

"No, no, no! Leo, Teale, what should we do?" Elise looked at her brothers, her brows creased together in worry.

Teale rubbed his temples with his fingers, a headache coming on. "Gods, why does this have to happen right now?"

Leo merely sighed. "Why does this fall to us?" Shaking his head, Leo quickly cast a spell, the prisoners disappearing almost immediately. "Father, I have dispatched our enemies on behalf of my softhearted brother. I only ask that you would be merciful in your punishment of him..."

"Enough! I will consider the matter later. Teale, you will come with me." Garon ordered as he walked away. Sighing, Teale followed his father with slightly slumped shoulders. Looking back, he saw Xander, Leo, and Corrin talking among themselves. The walk to the throne room was a long and quiet one as Teale found his mind wandering as he followed King Garon. The sound of doors opening made him snap out of it and walk calmly into the large room with a stoic expression. Out of the corner of his eye, the prince spotted his father's right hand man.

"Iago." Teale nodded as he continued walking forward.

"Prince Teale, it is nice to see you well. Your mission went smoothly, I hope?" Iago questioned, his fake concern making Teale want to roll his eyes.

"I will report to Father in just a moment, if you don't mind waiting."

"Of course, my apologies."

Sitting down on the throne, Garon grasped the arm rests of the chair. "Your mission?"

"Successful, your majesty." Teale replied. "Any resisting soldiers were eliminated, no prisoners taken, just as you ordered. Our soldiers are soon to set out to Hoshido before taking over the country entirely."

"Excellent. You are excused until further notice. You may rest before I send you out once again." The prince respectfully bowed before the old man before leaving the room with a sour expression.

Walking down the familiar halls of Krakenburg, Teale found himself in the old training room he used to practice in with Xander and Leo. Shaking his head, he decided to practice by himself instead of resting like Garon said. Quickly slicing through logs and practice dummies, Teale let his mind wander as he continued to swing Mercym. What seemed like mere minutes to the prince, he lightly panted as he put Mercym back into its sheath. The sky outside was dark like always, making Teale think he had only been in the room for only a short while.

"Goodness, it looks like a war passed through here." Teale turned around as he saw Laslow in the doorway, admiring the prince's work.

"Laslow, perfect timing. Do you know how long I've been here? I seem to have lost track of time." The prince smiled as he scratched a cheek with his index finger.

The retainer hummed. "Well, I got here only a little bit ago, but Lord Xander and your siblings got back nearly two hours ago."

"Ah..." Teale sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't know I was in here that long. If you're here, did you need my help with anything?"

"That's right, your brother told me to find you and tell you that Lord Corrin was sent to the Bottomless Canyon to secure a Hoshidan fort."

Teale's eyes almost bulged out of his head. "What?! When did this happen?!"

"If I'm correct, King Garon gave out that order not too long ago, so your brother isn't too far out then. Lord Xander, Lady Camilla, Lord Leo, and Lady Elise plan on following, despite Corrin's orders of going alone."

"Well, I guess if they're going, I must get going too." Walking out of the room, Teale smiled at the dancer. "Thank you for informing, Laslow. I very much appreciate it."

Laslow smiled brilliantly. "It is not a problem, milord!"

* * *

Upon arriving to the canyon, lightning flashed as he spotted Hans standing alone on the bridge. Laslow had told him that Gunter, Felicia, and Hans had accompanied his brother, but he didn't see the old night or the maid anywhere. His siblings left before him as he reassured them he would catch up. After a report from the war veteran, he quickly found out as to why his brother wasn't in the canyon.

"No..." Teale said in disbelief. "You're sure that's what happened?"

"Yes, milord. Hoshidan filth attacked Lord Corrin and Gunter, resulting in their falling down the canyon." Hans lied to the prince, trying to make his story as believable as he could.

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Hoshidan troops couldn't have made it past his siblings, let alone Xander. Even if he did fall, the canyon wasn't called the 'Bottomless Canyon' for now reason. That being said, maybe he did fall down there...

"Teale!" Camilla's voice made him open his eyes to see his siblings coming towards him. Upon seeing their brother, Camilla stopped. "Teale, why are you crying? Where's Corrin?"

Surprised, the prince touched his cheek, pulling his hand back to see his fingertips damp with his tears. "Hans said Hoshidan troops slipped past you and attacked him and Gunter... They-they fell off the bridge..."

"Ah... Are you sure?" Elise asked, her voice shaking.

"I'm afraid so, milady." Hans replied with no remorse whatsoever.

Almost immediately, Teale faced the man with a snarl. "What a lame excuse you are for a soldier, you filthy scumbag. For all we know, you could have pushed my brother and his retainer off of the bridge!" He stepped forward with a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I-I apologize, milord! I was occupied by enemy troops! I would have gladly taken Lord Corrin's place!" Hans stuttered, slightly unnerved by the prince's fury.

"Tch. If only it was you." He spat as he walked past his siblings with his hands clenched tight.

"Come... We must report to Father." Xander finally said after a moment of silence. The four siblings followed the blue haired prince as they processed what had happened. Behind them, Hans silently sighed as he realized his plan had worked. Yes, it was lie that was almost too far of a stretch, Teale's outburst had startling him.

Teale stopped suddenly with a sigh, turning around to face his siblings. "You go on ahead of me. I need some time to think and the castle isn't the place for me."

"But Teale-" Elise started, but paused when Xander held up a hand.

"Just be sure that you come back when you're ready, we'll be waiting for you."

"Alright." The prince shortly responded, passing his brothers and sisters. It wasn't too long before they were out of sight, along with that disgrace of a soldier. Shaking his head, he stopped on the bridge that Hans said Corrin and Gunter fell from. Looking down into the dark abyss below, he took a deep breath before throwing himself from the bridge, the wind whistling through his ears and he fell deeper and deeper into the darkness.

* * *

Upon opening his eyes, Teale looked up to the familiar blue sky that he had grown accustomed to in the few years he had visited this place. Sitting up from the grass, he looked around, stretching his arms before getting up and dusting his clothes to disperse any loose grass that he landed on. After wandering the small area for only a few minutes, the prince saw no sign of his brother or retainer.

Teale sighed, shoulders sagging. "So neither fell down here..." He muttered to himself before kicking the ground in a small fit of anger. "Why can't I save a single person, let alone my own brother?" He was quiet for a moment as the silence answered his question. "Gods, there's no point in staying here longer than I need to. Might as well go back and not worry my siblings with another missing brother."

"M-milord?" A familiar voice made Teale turned quickly in surprise.

"Gunter?" He lightly jogged to the older retainer as relief flooded his mind. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm not injured, as far as I can tell." Gunter replied, shaking his head. "You'll never believe it, but as Lord Corrin and I were retreating, Hans attacked me and I fell over the bridge into the canyon."

The prince pinched his nose with his fingers. "No, I can believe it. At least you're alive and well. Have you seen my brother around here at all?"

"No, he didn't fall after me, as far as I know. I was the only one here until you arrived." Gunter paused. "Lord Teale, do you happen to know where exactly we are? I know I fell down to the bottom of the canyon..."

"This is delicate information I'm going to tell you, Gunter. You mustn't speak of it outside of this realm." Once the retainer nodded, Teale continued. "This is the kingdom of Valla, once the home of the great dragon Anankos. Once you leave this place and return to where we came from, you cannot speak the very name of this land."

"Why is that?"

"Whoever speaks of Valla outside of the kingdom will dissolve into water and disappear because of the Silent Dragon's curse." Teale looked around the area, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "With that being said, we should probably get going now. Usually when I come here, it's not this peaceful."

Gunter nodded. "Understood. Lead the way, milord." Once they left the old land, the two were greeted by lightning and thunder of the Bottomless Canyon.

"When you return, you fell on a ledge and managed to climb back up yourself. What a miracle." Teale sighed. "You go ahead of me, I'll catch up to you in just a bit." Once Gunter had left, the prince turned around to see a bright light before him. After bringing his arm down from his eyes, his jaw nearly dropped to the ground. "Corrin?" Not even getting a chance to step towards his brother, a sharp pain on the back of his head caused his vision to blur before fading to black. He thought he heard his brother call out his name, but wasn't too sure since he heard another voice speak before his consciousness faded.

"Oops. Wrong Nohrian scum."

* * *

Muffled talking and jerking slowly brought Teale back to the realm of the living. Groaning, he put a head to his head as he felt the movement stop suddenly.

"Teale, are you alright?" Corrin's worried voice made the prince open his eyes, causing him to groan once again at the bright light. Once his eyes adjusted, he realized that Corrin had been carrying him on his back while he was unconscious.

Someone beside them hummed. "Rinkah said that she hit him quite hard, possibly harder than you, milord."

"What the shit is happening?" Not waiting for a reply from his brother, Teale pushed his hands against Corrin's back. "And put me down, I'm not a little girl, you piss."

Corrin sighed, carefully letting his brother down from his back. "Rinkah, one of the prisoners that we released, knocked us both out and sent for Kaze, the ninja that's with us." After a moment of silence and Teale squinting at the green haired ninja, he grew ridged as his brother's gaze shifted to him.

"What the hell is going on." Teale lowly asked, his voice making Corrin swallow.

"Uh, we're going to meet the queen of Hoshido...?" He replied, his voice a few octaves higher than what it usually rested at.

Teale was silent for a few moments before sighing in defeat. "Alright, I guess this is happening now." He quickly turned and started walking away from his brother and the ninja.

The white haired prince sighed in relief as he started to follow his brother. Usually, 'Morning Teale' wasn't a very happy Teale, curse words being some of the first few words you heard from him in the morning and if angered, a swift fist to the throat, diaphragm, or a chop to the nose. Now, Corrin had never seen this side of his brother, and maybe it was side that he wouldn't have to experience again. Hopefully, the gods wouldn't dare let his siblings met this Teale as well.

"Is your brother always like this?" Kaze inquired, raising a brow as he looked at the prince in front of him.

"No, this is very close to how he is when he wakes up, minus the intensity you saw just now. If anything, he should be his normal self within the hour." And thankfully, Teale did brighten up to his normal self within the allotted time. Walking seemed to properly wake up the elder prince as he started talking to Corrin about what happened at the Bottomless Canyon. Soon, Castle Shirasagi came into view, surprising both princes. The architecture was so different than the castles and forts in Nohr, as was the fact that there were actually a blue sky with the bright sun illuminating the day.

Teale hummed as the walked through the busy streets. "Oh, I forgot to mention, Gunter did survive. When I went to look for you myself, I found him not far from the ledge of the canyon."

"Thank the gods!" Corrin sighed in relief.

"Or, you know, thank your brother, but whatever." Teale teased as the walked through the gates of the large castle. The townspeople, soldiers, even servants in the castle sparred Teale odd looks as if he was out of place. Technically speaking, he was, a Nohrian prince in the capital of Hoshido? What exactly was going on here, the end of the world? Kaze stopped in front of them, bowing to a woman who stood in front of the the throne. She wore elegant white clothing that was a contrast to her soft black hair. Smiling, she nodded at Kaze.

"Thank you for bringing them here." She thanked, nodding at the ninja. With another boy, the green haired ninja disappeared, leaving Corrin, Teale, the assumed queen, and a... Lobster prince(?) in the large throne room. Her eyes found Teale as she tilted her head. "I don't believe we'be met before."

He shook his head as he dropped to one knee. "No, your majesty. I'm Teale, second prince of Nohr. It's an honor to meet you, despite the odd circumstances."

"Indeed. You may stand, Prince Teale." She agreed, nodding her head.

"Look, if you're going to execute me, then go on!" Corrin's voice made Teale roll his eyes as he pushed himself up from the ground, earning a smile of amusement from the man in red armor.

White his eyes were shut, the queen of Hoshido walked down to Corrin and hugged him softly. "Corrin, my son, you're alright." Her relieved voice caused Corrin's mind to flip.

"Wait, son?!"

Teale sighed, looking at the red samurai. "I'm sorry, I feel as if I'm intruding. May I excuse myself for fresh air?"

"Out the door and to the left. My retainers will watch over you as a precaution." The lobster man said, not taking his eyes off of the Queen.

"Fair enough." Nodding a thanks, the blue haired prince followed the instructions as he found himself outside near the lakeside. He sighed as he sat on the edge of the dock, stretching his arms over his head. He gazed out at the rippling water as he leaned back, his hands firmly pressed on the dock for support. He closed his eyes as he listened to the tides wash over the shore along the wooden dock.

"This might be the most normal thing that's happened in the last few days." Teale commented to himself. He heard soft footsteps come up from behind him as he opened his eyes and turned his head. The sunlight cast a shadow over the figure, the only details he could see was the person's long, blue hair. "Sorry, I thought I was alone, I'll leave if you'd like." He got up, shielding his eyes as he looked at the figure again, this time his eyes widening. "You..."

"What is your name?" She asked, hers eyes also widening.

"T-Teale, I-" Teale was interrupted as she rushed towards him, arms quickly wrapping around his torso. "Sister?"

"So you do remember."

He scoffed, hugging his sister tightly. "How could I forget my twin sister? How dense do you think I am, Azura?" Azura laughed, pulling away from her brother and smiling. "You've been here this whole time?"

"Yes, I have been. I'm sorry to have left you alone in Nohr."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. What about you, how have you been?" The twins sat down at the edge of the dock, talking about what had happened since their separation. Azura was taken by Hoshido ninjas late one night when they were younger, bringing Teale to think that he would never see his dear sister again after losing their mother. Quickly, the pair felt as if it hadn't been years without the other, laughing at little things as they talked. Falling into a comfortable silence, Teale sighed as he looked out at the blue lake once again. "Azura?"

"Yes, brother?" She answered.

Teale smiled as she called him brother once again. "Sing with me?

* * *

Corrin walked outside, the meeting with his mother, Queen Mikoto, still fresh in his mind. It had been more than a few hours since he saw Teale after he requested that he need fresh air. During that time, Ryoma, the high prince of Hoshido and his older brother, headed to the north to save their sisters, Sakura and Hinoka. He shook his head, still in disbelief. How could these people that he didn't remember claim to be his family after he spent his entire life in Nohr with his siblings there? Corrin looked around, aiming to find Teale so he could confide in someone he felt comfortable with. A familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts as he listened to it sing like he heard once before, this time another voice harmonizing perfectly with it. Following the peaceful song, he walked along the dock to see his brother and a girl sitting at the edge, singing with one another. They both turned around to look at the white haired prince, surprising him with how similar they looked.

"Brother, who is this?" He asked, tilting his head. "She looks so much like you.."

"Ah, Corrin, this is my younger twin sister, Azura." Teale smiled softly as he held his hand out to gesture to his sister.

"You never told me you had a sister, let alone a twin." He responded, raising an eyebrow.

Azura hummed. "That's because I was taken by Hoshido around the same time you were taken by Nohr. There's no way we would have seen each other during that time."

"But Teale could have said something during that time."

"I was still in the process of grieving, I'm sorry, Corrin." Teale shook his head. "So how was your meeting with the queen?"

"I met my Hoshido siblings."

The blue haired prince raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Ryoma is the oldest of us and was in the throne room with Queen Miko- I mean, Mother, when we arrived-"

"That lobster looking samurai?" Teale's interruption made Azura laugh.

Corrin rolled his eyes. "Yes, may I continue?" His brother gestured for him with pursed lips. "Then there's Hinoka and Sakura. I just came back from rescuing them from Faceless north of here."

Teale grimaced. "Those are some nasty things, I'll tell you that."

"It sounds like you haven't met your younger brother Takumi yet." Azura commented.

"What's he like?"

"Well, he's..." She paused, searching for the right word for the prickly prince.

"Difficult?" Teale supplied.

Azura nodded. "Yes, let's go with that."

* * *

Soon after, a celebration was held in honor of Corrin returning to Hoshido. By now, Teale had been away from Nohr for a few days, more than likely worrying his siblings. Even though he felt bad, he was enjoying the diverse atmosphere of Castle Shirasagi. Except Prince Takumi. That kid was starting to get on Teale's nerves. He was like Leo in a way, if Leo was even more of a big headed, egotistical jerk. At least Leo keeps it to himself, more or less, Teale noted. Corrin and Queen Mikoto stood in the middle of the square as she was about to announce the news of her wayward son. Out of the corner of his eye, Teale saw a mysterious figure in a dark cloak step forward in the crowd, near to where he stood as he watched his brother. The fact that an eerie purple mist clung closely to them unnerved the blue haired prince. The figure held out his hand as Corrin's sword Ganglari flew out away from his side and into the man's hand. Haunting laughter filled his ears as the man swung the sword at an unsuspecting Teale, slicing into his abdomen before stabbing it into the ground. Gasping as he fell to one knee, he gripped his stomach before looking down to see that even though the sword clearly cut him, there was no physical wound, just a torn shirt and a purple slice in his skin that was definately causing him pain.

By the time he looked up, the sword Ganglari exploded into fragments as they sailed towards Corrin.

"NO!" He yelled out as Queen Mikoto stepped in front of the prince, blocking the attack. Gritting his teeth, he watched as she crumpled into his arms before falling limp. The pain in his torso was starting to worsen as sweat started to drip down his brow. More figures with the same purple aura began to swarm the destroyed plaza as Teale unsteadily rose to his feet. As much as he wanted to help, now wasn't the time for him to fight. Slowly, he started to retreat as the semi invisible soldiers seemed to outright ignore him, going for the dragon instead. Teale just chalked that one to hallucinating due to the immense pain he was in. He suddenly realized that he wanted to go home, he wanted to go back to Nohr.

It seemed like forever that he was in the destroyed city until he walked along the grassy plains. By now, the surroundings of the blue sky and green grass were starting to blend together. Rushed footsteps behind him caused him to pause to turn around as carefully as he could so he didn't agitate his stomach more. He saw multiple figures with a vast variety of colors rushing towards him.

"Teale!" He squinted as he heard Corrin's voice yell at him, the possibility of one of those white blobs coming at him being his brother. "Nohr is attacking the border, we need to go!"

"E'm goin' as fass as eh can." Teale responded, his words horribly slurred as his vision black out for a moment.

"What's wrong with him?" Takumi's annoying voice cause him to let out a frustrated sigh.

He felt soft hands cradle his face as his sister's blurry face entered his line of sight. "Brother, what happened?"

"E'm sorey, eh goh ingured!" He responded as he slightly swayed before someone else grabbed his shoulders.

"Sakura, can you treat him as we continue to the border?" Corrin asked, turning to one of the smaller blobs in the blue haired prince's vision.

"I-I'll try!" Even after multiple test runs with Sakura's Bloom Festival rod, Teale still felt like he had drank twenty bottles of the most potent liquor in Nohr. Not that he would know what that was like. Teale's condition didn't worse, nor did it get better as he felt Corrin drag him to the border of Nohr and Hoshido. At least the prince's words stopped slurring together once they stopped rushing towards the upcoming battle.

"Corrin, Teale, you're alive! They haven't harmed you, have they?" Teale heard Xander's voice from across the small river that separated the two lands.

Teale scoffed. "More or less."

"Xander, I'm fine!" Corrin shouted, taking a moment to steady Teale so he could stand by himself.. "But... why are you invading Hoshido?!"

"Father says it's time to show our true strength. Join us, and we'll end this quickly. If we conquer Hoshido here and now, we can avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

"Xander..." Corrin breathed out, conflicted. "I... I need a minute."

"Be careful, Corrin. That man is a Nohrian commander!" The lobster samurai warned.

"Ryoma..."

With much concentration, Teale gazed out to where he saw his siblings arrive through the forest. Even with his hazy mind, he noticed that things were starting to turn from bad to worse.

"Corrin, Teale! I was so worried about you. Don't ever wander away from me again!" Camilla warned playfully.

"I'm glad you're okay, you two. You must have the devil's own luck!" Leo commented, making Teale snort.

"Can they not see me in pain from this distance..." He mumbled to himself as he gripped his abdomen tightly.

"Yaaay!" Elise cheered. "We got out brothers back!"

"Nohrian scum!" Hinoka spat out. "First you kidnap Corrin, now you lie to him?! Corrin in MY brother, not yours!"

Camilla shook her head. "You are mistaken. Corrin is my sweet little brother. You may not have him."

"Don't be fooled by their words. You belong with your true family in Hoshido!" Ryoma argued.

"We have loved you and raised you since you were a child." Xander commented. "Come home, little prince. We can live as a family once more!"

"Come home to Hoshido, Corrin!" The samurai demanded.

"No, Corrin! Nohr is your home!" Xander shouted.

Teale started shaking his head. The option to turn on one of your families, blood related or the family that raised you. The choice made Teale want to be sick right then and there. No matter what choice was to be made, it all depended on Corrin.

* * *

 _What path should I start with first? R &R_

 _I know I have a few other stories that I'm working on right now as well, but I wanted to get this story and the three different paths down before I lose the idea I have for another story revolving around Fire Emblem._


	2. In the White Light

_~Birthright~_

 _~*In the White Light*~_

"Xander. Withdraw your troops." Corrin ordered, grasping the Yato at his side. Teale's eyes slightly widened as he watched his little brother side with Hoshido, surprised by his decision.

"Corrin... Don't tell me you're siding with Hoshido." Xander stated, appalled.

"I'm afraid so. I've made up my mind- I stand with Hoshido."

The crown prince of Nohr shook his head. "I feared the Hoshidans might try to brainwash you... I am well aware of your Hoshidan lineage. It is true that we lack common blood. But still, we've treated you as kin since the very day you arrived in Nohr. No matter what anyone says, you are my brother, Corrin. I know that Camilla, Leo, Teale, and Elise feel the same way. And Father will forgive you. I know it. You are of Nohr! Return to us, Corrin!"

"I"m sorry. I can't go back. King Garon is a coward and a liar. I've witnessed enough of his destruction. Causing an explosion in a crowded city center with no regard for innocent life, attacking and wounding Teale... That's the action of a madman." Corrin paused, his face twisted in a frown. "Tell me. If King Garon thinks of me as family... how could he have orchestrated this attack? I could have easily been killed along with Queen Mikoto. The truth is that I was just a pawn. Collateral damage. King Garon was willing to sacrifice my life in pursuit of his agenda. Face it, Xander- Garon is no longer human. He's pure evil."

"Father... evil? How could you say that, little prince?" Xander was shocked at the dragon prince's words.

"Xander, please... Join me! Join me and help put an end to his cruelty!"

"Corrin..." Xander rushed forward, swinging Siegfried down to Corrin, who easily blocked it. "That's my answer, traitor."

"Traitor? Brother, wait!"

"Enough. I never thought you would turn your back on your kingdom and your family. Your betrayal will not be forgiven. You want to side with Hoshido? Fine. Over my dead body!"

"Xander!" Teale watched as his brother beat the snot out of Corrin. As much as he wanted to move or intervene, his body refused to even take a step forward, as if it was unresponsive or paralyzed.

"You have been deceived, Brother. They've clearly brainwashed you. I will not rest until I've returned you to your senses. Get up! Get up and return to Nohr with me. Surely there's some part of you that still remembers your true family."

Corrin unsteadily rose to his feet, using his sword to push himself up. "Brother, my mind is made up."

"If that's the case... I will end this quickly."

"Wait!" Corrin yelled as Ryoma intervened at the last minute.

"Just try it, Nohrian scum." He spat out, Raijinto sparking in his grip.

"Ryoma! Please, we can settle this peacefully." Corrin begged.

"What's wrong, Corrin? Lost your focus?" The samurai joked with a small smile before frowning at Xander. "Tossing your sword aside and dying as a martyr won't do us any good."

"Fiend!" Xander shouted. "If you seek to take my brother from me, I won't go easy on you."

"Oh, why don't you spare ME the chitchat? Shut up and attack, if you dare!" Ryoma challenged.

"A splendid idea. I've yearned to introduce you to a dear friend of mine- the dark blade Siegfried. Camilla, Leo, Elise! Are you ready?"

"Darling, I was born ready. Let's kill them all quickly so we can make it home in time for Corrin's nap." Camilla said with a small, devious smile.

Leo nodded. "You're coming with us- that's all there is to it. Understood, Corrin?"

"Yay! We're gonna take Corrin back home and make sure Teale is all right!" Elise cheered from her steed.

"Please. Corrin has made his choice. All that remains is to spill your blood and wipe my divine sword clean. Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura! Steel yourselves..." Ryoma stood at the ready, waving his siblings forward.

Teale's vision blurred as he watched Corrin look back at him. He could feel himself fall to the ground as the world tilted upwards, the blue sky looking too happy for what was happening on this battle field. Again, his body couldn't move as he lay limp on the ground. The faraway sound of fighting barely reached his ears as he swallowed, his mouth dry. His sister's blurry face came into view as he watched her lips ask him if he was alright. Not able to form words, Teale merely blinked as she ran off, presumably to join the fight as well. All of a sudden, he was roughly picked up and set upon a horse, Leo's blond hair coming into view. The blue haired prince watched as Azura ran back with Sakura, an acute look of horror upon their faces as they realized who he was with.

"I'm sorry..." He hoarsely apologized before they lurched forward, Teale's eyes slowly closing.

* * *

"Is this really our future? A lifetime of conflict with Nohr?" Corrin asked, gritting his teeth.

"Corrin... I can understand why you are reluctant to fight. If it would make you feel better, you can leave the fighting to me and Ryoma." Azura offered.

"No. Burying my head in the sand won't change the reality of the situation. I will stand with you. And the rest of Hoshido."

"Very well."

Corrin nodded. "I know this is the right choice. Even if it's the hardest one I've ever had to make. I have to believe this is the path that will eventually lead to peace." He paused, looking around. "Azura, where's Teale?"

"He was taken by a blond prince in the midst of the fight. I left him to get Sakura so she could heal his wound, but he must have taken that chance to take Teale." She replied, looking down to the ground.

"Leo..." The white haired prince muttered, gripping the hilt of his sword.

* * *

 _Teale PoV_

I groaned in pain as I struggled to open my eyes. I could feel a damp cloth on my forehead and sweat run down my neck as I tried to sit up in bed before a pair of hands lightly pushed me back down. "Stay still, you still look like you're in pain. You, go get my brother and sisters." I heard Leo order. Finally, I opened my eyes to see Leo sitting close to my bed. "You're a real handful, you know that?" The door to the room swiftly opened and closed, indicating that Leo wasn't the only one here while I was unconscious.

"What happened? How long have I been asleep?" I hoarsely asked, slowly turned my head to look at my brother.

"Three days so far. Elise has tried everything to heal that wound on your torso, but nothing's working."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed, frustrated. "Even the most power staff that Elise had barely healed you. It's as if the wound was trying not to be healed." Looking down, I saw the wound on my stomach, pink and slightly raised around the raw skin. It looked like a normal slash, unless you looked hard enough and saw small flecks of dark purple matter. Shaking my head, the damp cloth fell off my forehead. Before I could speak, the door opened, once again, revealing Xander, Camilla, and Elise.

"Glad to see you're awake, darling." Camilla cooed, sitting down beside my head and pushing my damp hair out of my face. "You had us all worried."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, truly." I apologized, smiling up at my sister.

"What happened?" Xander asked, crossing his arms.

I sighed, shaking my head as Elise quietly stepped forward to attempt healing my abdomen. "I was knocked out by some Hoshidan troop and taken to the capital with Corrin. Queen Mikoto was holding a celebration and a man attacked with Corrin's sword. He merely lifted his hand and the sword flew into his grasp before he caught me, then attacked Corrin. If the queen didn't jump in front of him, I'm sure he would be the one who died, but I can't say for sure. I don't remember much after that, I barely recall being rescued at the border."

"I'm lucky I got you once that woman left you alone. For all I knew, she could have gotten reinforcements." Leo commented, leaning back in his chair.

"I think you're taking about Azura, but again, I can't say for sure." I said, putting an arm on my forehead.

"Azura? You mean-" Xander furrowed his eyebrows together as I interrupted.

"Yes, my twin that was taken by Hoshido during our childhood. She's probably still on Hoshido's side, along with Corrin, huh?"

Xander scowled. "To think that he would turn his back on the family that raised him." The room was silent for a few moments before I pushed myself up from the bed with a soft groan.

"I need to report to Father, I've been in this bed long enough."

"No, you need to rest more." Camilla ordered, pushing me lightly back into bed. "Your wound barely looks better than when we first brought you home."

"Yeah, you need to take it easy and-" Elise chimed in before Xander interrupted her.

"Elise, go fetch Flora to bandage Teale up. Camilla, tell Iago that Teale requests an audience with Father." They paused, looking at each other. Camilla patted my cheek before standing up from the bed and leaving the room with Elise. I sighed, completely sitting up in bed.

Leo sighed. "Father told us that if we see Corrin, we're to kill him on sight. He'll tell you the same thing."

"That's to be expected I suppose." I scratched the back of my head. "Nohrian law does that that turning your back on your country gets you the sentence of death. Even if Corrin is our brother, he sided with Hoshido and the rest of those asses."

"What did I tell you about your language, Teale?" Xander asked, raising a brow.

"To not use those words around ladies." I rolled my eyes as Leo scoffed at my response.

"No, that you shouldn't use them at all." He shook his head, exasperated. "Nonetheless, we're happy that you're alright."

I scoffed. "Yeah, as alright as I can get, I suppose. I'm still alive." A knock on the door signaled that Flora had arrived, making Xander and Leo leave. She quietly and carefully wrapped bandages around my torso. Once she was finished, she bowed and left just as quickly as she came. I sighed, making my way to the throne room to report to Father.

Upon arrival, I stopped outside the large doors, quietly taking in a deep breath. "Father, it's Teale. I've come to give you my report." There was a couple moments of silence before he responded.

"You may enter." The large doors slowly opened as my eyes immediately fell on Father, who was sitting on the throne as he usually did. Stopping at the base of the stairs, I bowed my head.

"I apologize in the tardiness of my report, Father."

He hummed. "Xander told me that you were injured when you returned here."

"Yes, I was taken to the capital of Hoshido where I was attacked by a mysterious man during a celebration. I was unprepared when I should have been on guard in the enemy's land."

"Look at me." Raising my head, I met eyes with King Garon. "I have told your siblings this and I will tell you now. Corrin has decided to join with those Hoshidans. If you are to ever come across him, you are to kill him, no exceptions."

"I understand, Father. Traitors have no reason to live." I stated.

He nodded slowly. "Until further notice, you are to stay in this castle and rest. You may go." Bowing my head again, I turned to leave the throne room. My fists clenched as sweat started to form on my forehead once again. When the large doors closed behind me, I side stepped over to the wall and leaned on it, shakily exhaling, wiping my forehead with the back of my arm. Even if Corrin was a traitor, there was no way I could kill him. We grew up together. I wasn't like my siblings, who could easily murder him if it benefited or protected Nohr. I sighed, pushing myself off the wall. Camilla was right, I needed to rest some more before doing anything. Stumbling, I put my hand against the wall as the hallway started to tilt.

"Lord Teale?" I tilted my head to the side to see Selena and Odin walking my way, their faces showing confusion, or as much confusion as I could see at this moment. I opened my mouth to say that I was fine to the pair, but I fell towards the ground instead, losing consciousness once again.

* * *

The next time I woke up, I was alone. Moonlight shined through the window of my room, indicating it was late at night. I shook my head, completely appalled by my actions. I can't believe I passed out in front of Camilla and Leo's retainers. With my luck, they probably rushed me to my room or something and immediately told my brothers and sisters what happened. Sighed, I carefully got out of bed and leaned against the window sill. It was quiet outside, save for the occasional cricket singing. I stood there for only a few moments before I decided that I should leave my room. Once again, I had no idea how long I was unconscious, and it seemed like no one would be able to tell me for at least another few hours when people started to rise for the day. Grabbing my sword, I quietly made my way to the training room, aiming to get rid of the stiffness in my joints.

Passing through the courtyard, I saw someone moving out of the corner of my eye. Blinking, I stopped behind a column to see Leo practicing spells, multiple tomes neatly stacked into a pile on the ground. He wasn't wearing his armor or that collar that he almost always put on inside out. Usually, my sometimes clumsy little brother read tomes in his room or even in the training room, but this was the first time I saw him outside studying.

"What're you doing out here and not inside?" I asked, watching as he whipped his head around and stretched out his hand, ready to strike. I huffed as Leo relaxed, sighing in slight frustration.

"How many times did I ask you not to scare me while I was studying?" The blond questioned, sounding irritated.

"I lost count." I replied, walking over to where he stood. "You're usually not outside reading and you caught my eye."

"I needed fresh air. You seem to be doing better."

I hummed. "Yes, I do feel more well than before. How long was I asleep this time?"

"Only two and a half days this time. You gave Odin and Selena quiet the scare. Luckily, they brought you to me and Camilla assumed you went back to your room by yourself and slept some more."

"Oh thank the gods, I thought that she would find out for sure." I shuddered jokingly as Leo smirked. "Anyways, you seem a little frustrated at the moment. What happened?"

Leo looked at the ground for a few moments before speaking. "I saw Corrin at Izumo while you were resting. Zola was sent there and I was going to get rid of him but Corrin being Corrin, stopped me."

"So Zola is still alive?" Leo nodded as I sighed. "That's not going to go well with Corrin. Zola is a two faced fool. There's no doubt that he'll betray Corrin at some point in their journey. But there's something else that's bothering you."

"Why would he side with Hoshido after being there not even a week? We raised him like he was our own and then betrayed us as if we were nothing to him!" Leo admitted, his hands shaking.

"I understand how you feel, but you also have to understand how Corrin feels. He must have his reasons to side with Hoshido. If Queen Mikoto really is his mother and she was killed protecting him from an attack from Nohr, maybe he joined them because of that reason. I can't say for sure, I'm not Corrin."

"But what about your sister? You finally reunited with her after years of separation and she didn't come to Nohr and you didn't go to Hoshido!"

I hummed. "That's true. She also must have her reasons to side with Hoshido. She grew up there and they treat her well, better than how Nohr treated us when we were younger. I sided with Nohr because that's what my gut told me. Even if I couldn't think straight when Corrin made his decision, my instincts were telling me that Nohr was the place that I needed to fight for. Yes, I miss my sister, and yes, I risk meeting her on the battle field, but I believe that when this is all over, there will finally be peace and maybe we'll see each other once again." We were both silent as we listened to the crickets chirp to one another.

"You really think there's going to be peace after this war?"

"I'm sure of it."

Leo paused before sighing. "Thank you for listening to me, even if I was acting childish."

"It's my job as your older brother to listen to my siblings and make them feel better." I smiled as I ruffled my brother's hair. "Even if it is past your bedtime."

"I don't have a bedtime, Teale, I'm old enough to take care of myself!" He swatted my hand away, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. I laughed in response, glad Leo was feeling better after talking to me. If only this happiness could last a little bit longer.

* * *

I sighed as I looked down to the stage below. Father requested after I had enough rest that I accompany him to Cyrkensia to watch songstresses perform. It was something I've done before, I remember coming here many times with all my siblings to admire the beautiful women pouring their soul into the songs they sang. Though this time, Father had said that he required me to come here not of leisure, but for battle. His order confused me, but I complied nonetheless. Like always, he requested that the singer Layla perform for him, which wasn't surprising. Layla performed all the times that we visited the cathedral as requested by my father.

Elise sighed. "Maybe this music will help distract me from all the awful things going on..." I put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"I'm sure it will. Music does wonders healing a person's heart and soul." A lone figure walked out onto the stage out of the corner of my eye as I comforted my little sister.

"Tell me, Father. What sorts of things does this performer sing about?"

"Does it matter? Her voice is divine. Just sit back and enjoy the show." He merely answered, not turning his gaze away from the stage.

She sighed again, shoulders sagging. "All right..."

 _"You are an ocean's grey waves, weaving a dream, like thoughts become a river stream..."_ As the songstress' melody reached my ears, I whipped my head around to see Azura standing on stage, a hand pressed to her chest. How could she be here, though 'why was she here' was a better question! Father would notice immediately that the lady on stage wasn't Layla, hell, Azura didn't even _look_ like Layla! And mother's song, why is she singing mother's song?!

 _"Thou seek the light, with an outstretched hand... A divine blade lies before you so command, the wake of dreams, to restore the world, cut 'way the seams..."_ I watched with my mouth slightly agape as Azura gracefully sang the song that we had learned so long ago, dancing fluidly and elegantly. Soft blue bubbles started to form around her as streams of water flowed from her fingers like ribbons, only adding onto the beautiful performance.

 _"Join in our prayer, in our song of birthrights and love! Come the sin, illuminate the sky! Pray that we may quell the dark - Light take the throne, lost in thoughts, all alone..."_ Father was groaning in discomfort as the words reached his ears, much as I was. While Father was uncomfortable and I was completely confused by the display, Elise was entranced by the ballad and was on the edge of her seat with wide eyes as she watched Azura dance. Father stood up, recovered from the song as he walked to the edge of the balcony.

"Well, well, well. Just what do you think you're doing, Corrin?" Following his gaze, I saw Corrin standing with a handful of soldiers on the villa docks as they prepared to attack. Corrin's eyes shot up as he found out they were caught. "Capture them, men!" Multiple soldiers emerged out onto the villas that were steadily floating in the water. "Did you really think you could outsmart me, Corrin? Pathetic."

"What are they going to do to my Corrin?" Elise questioned, furrowing her brow. I shook my head and placed a hand on her shoulder once more.

"Elise! Teale!" Corrin called out, his grip tightening on the Yato blade.

"How fascinating. Despite your treason and betrayal, you still seem to care about your siblings." Garon commented, raising a brow.

"I don't understand. How could you have anticipated this?" Corrin yelled as sweat dripped down his face.

Father laughed as he shook his head. "Ah, Corrin, your naivete is embarrassing. I still can't believe you willingly allowed one of my men to travel with you." I watched as Zola ran out to join the other soldiers of Nohr.

"Eek! King Garon, what are you doing? They didn't need to know that!"

"Zola was behind this? But he proved his loyalty!"

"That's right." Takumi agreed from the side in disbelief. "I could be dead if it weren't for him."

"What better way to convince you all? I knew a healer would be nearby." Zola explained, a twisted grin on his face.

"You filthy rat! I'll kill you myself!" The prince of Hoshido yelled, shaking his fist.

The mage turned to look up at Father. "So... Your Majesty. I've followed through on my end of the deal... Can you please tell Lord Leo not to kill me after all? And, um, while you're at it..." I shook my head as Father motioned me to leave. Walking out of the booth and down the stairs, I drew Mercym as I sighed. So my prediction about Zola had been right all along, not that there was any doubt that I was wrong. Soldiers stepped out of my way as I quickly but quietly made my way to the mage, striking him down as he turned to look at me with wide eyes. He yelled out in pain as he feel to the floor, Elise shouting in surprise.

Zola groaned. "Lord Corrin... please forgive me..." He muttered as he grew limp, death claiming him.

"That was heartless, Teale." Corrin commented, gritting his teeth.

"Still you pity a... creature... such as that? One who betrayed you, nonetheless! This is the source of your weakness." Garon stated as I continued to look at my brother, Azura close behind him.

"Do you really think it's okay to use people as you see fit and then dispose of them? How admirable." Corrin shook his head.

"I'll show you weakness. Just come within range of my bow..." Takumi threatened as the Fujin Yumi glowed, creating a bowstring out of a shimmering blue light.

"No." Corrin shook his head. "We can't make a stand here. There are too many of them. We need to escape and regroup. Everyone, make for that exit!" He ordered, nodding his head towards the stage.

I scoffed as I adjusted my sword in my hand. "Just go ahead and try!" Activating the Dragon Vein from underneath my feet, the water surrounding the stage turned to ice, letting my run quickly to block the entrance. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Xander emerge from one of the entrances with Peri and Laslow. To think I would see a day where Xander and Corrin fought against each other outside of training, the thought didn't seem real to me. Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on the battle that was unfolding in front of my eyes.

Corrin's troops easily cut through Nohrian soldiers as they found the frozen water an advantage to them in battle. Soon, Corrin himself walked onto the stage, sweat on his forehead and the Yato gripped tightly in his hand.

"Please, step aside, Teale. I don't want to fight you." He asked, lowering his sword.

"I can't. Father is watching." I responded, shooting forward. "I hope you're ready, because I'm not Xander and I sure as hell don't fight as easy!" Bringing down my sword, Corrin barely managed to block the hit with wide eyes as he tried to process the attack. Quickly retracting the sword, I kicked him square in the diaphram, making his sputter for air. I swung my sword from the left, intending on catching him with the flat, blunt side of my sword, a giant fox jumped in, blocking the whole attack. My eyes widened in surprise as I jumped backwards, eyeing the beast. I had read about kitsune from Hoshido, but I never thought I would see one in my lifetime.

"Corrin, you alright?" It called out, glancing at the prince as he gasped for air.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Kaden. Go help the others if they need it!"

"Alrighty, you owe me one!" With that, the kitsune ran away, leaving Corrin alone once again.

I huffed. "That was a bad idea, leaving you alone with me. Besides, where did you even find a kitsune ally? I didn't even think they left their village."

"None of your business, Teale. Now please, let me through." He asked again, making me shake my head.

"You know I can't do that-" The sound of movement behind me made me quickly tilted my head to the side as a shuriken whizzed past my head. The green haired ninja from before, Kaze, quickly jumped into action as he quickly rushed forward, aiming to hit me. Scoffing, I easily dodged or blocked his hits as Corrin jumped forward, working in perfect harmony with Kaze's attacks. Even though I was going against an elite ninja and my brother, I couldn't help but find that they weren't trying hard enough, or if they were even giving it their all in this fight. Shaking my head, I quickly parried Corrin's hit, efficiently throwing him off balance before I brought back my arm and quickly slammed my sword into the Corrin's side, making him fly several feet away. The Hoshido ninja appeared behind him just as he was about to hit the ground, breaking his fall. Just like I tried before, I used the flat side of Mercym instead of the sharp edges.

I sighed as he shakily got up, using the Yato to pull himself up from the ground. "You can't win, Corrin. You've never fought me before and you have no idea how much stronger I am than you."

"Why are you against me? Can't you see that what King Garon is doing is evil? He needs to be stopped!" Corrin yelled, gritting his teeth together.

"Against you? You betrayed us! You turned your back on the family that raised you and cared for you as if you were our own blood!" I clenched my jaw as I let out a slow breath. "Father has ordered your execution if we were to find you on the battlefield and that's an order I can't dismiss, Corrin. It's Nohrian law. If you can beat me, then it's my loss and I'll be the one with major consequences when I return to the castle but if I end your life here, then Nohr will easily win the war that it waged." I walked forward with Mercym tight in my grasp as Corrin only stood there in slight shock. At this point of his life with the training that he had, he didn't stand a chance against me in battle. Maybe a few more years training would be good for him, but the day that he beats me in sparring isn't going to come as soon as he wants.

I looked at Corrin, who was barely standing up at this point and had fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but it's the only thing I can do to keep my family together at this point in time." Winding my arm back once more, I planned on swiping down and giving Corrin a quick death before-

"Teale, wait!" I stopped my sword mere inches away from Corrin's neck as I heard Azura's voice call out. Turning my head, I saw her running our way with a iron naginata in her hand. While I was distracted by my sister, I was forced back and fell down, hitting my head sharply on the ground as I saw Corrin run past me and towards the exit. Groaning, I rolled over and pushed myself off the ground, the back of my head pulsing in pain. Azura paused as she looked at me with a sad expression. "I'm sorry..." She soon followed after apologizing to me, not even sparring me a second glance.

"Damn it..." I muttered to myself, thinking about the talk Father was bound to give me for letting Corrin escape.

* * *

Outside, Corrin was panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath from running and his fight against Teale. "I... I think we're safe here."

"You can't escape from me, Corrin." Xander said, following the dragon prince. "You might have barely passed Teale but I won't let you go!"

"Brother!"

"You've gotten stronger, little prince. But not strong enough. You have betrayed not only your king but your whole family. To think... I once called you Brother and loved you with all my heart..."

"Xander! Corrin! Please, stop what you're doing!" The two princes turned their heads to see Elise running towards them.

"Elise!" Corrin exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Stand back, Elise. Leave this to me." Xander ordered, unsheathing Siegfried.

Elise shook her head, determined. "No! I won't let you hurt Corrin. If you must fight someone... fight me!"

"Elise, please. Don't do this." Corrin begged.

"Quickly-Elise has distracted Xander. Now's our chance!" Azura stated, motioning Corrin to follow. "We have to cut out losses and run. Fighting here puts the innocent people of Nestra at risk."

"But..."

"Hurry Corrin!" The blue haired princess pleaded before Corrin groaned in frustration and followed.

"That's right. Run away while you can." Xander commented, glaring at Corrin's retreating figure. "I will always find you, little prince. It is your destiny to face me..."

* * *

"Why did you let Corrin escape?" Father questioned, clearly angered with my actions.

"I'm sorry, Father, I didn't expect a distraction in that battle. Believe me when I said that I was going to execute that traitor."

He hummed. "That's right, that woman did call out like she thought she knew you."

"That was Azura, my twin sister that was kidnapped by Hoshido when we were children. She sided with Hoshido as well as Corrin. To think that two siblings would betray their family."

"So that girl was alive this whole time? Interesting." Father turned around as he was about to walk away. "If you ever see either of those two again, you are to end their lives with no hesitation. You will not disappoint me again."

I bowed my head in obedience. "Yes, Father." As I lifted my head, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. Turning around, I was met with Xander and Elise coming towards me with unreadable expressions. "You heard my orders?"

"Yes, we did." Xander confirmed. "I didn't think Corrin would make it past you, even if he has grown stronger in his time away from Nohr."

"It was a minor distraction, something that will not happen again." I stated, resting my hand on the hilt of my sword. "I can't let Father down again, no matter what happens."

Xander nodded. "Father has already sent Camilla and her retainers to Cheve to stop them from meeting up with the high prince of Hoshido and the resistance. If she doesn't stop them there, I'm sure Father will give you a chance to redeem yourself for tonight."

"Maybe so." I simply answered, walking beside my brother.

"How did the little prince even get past you?"

"I was distracted by Azura. She called out to me to get my attention and Corrin pushed me to the ground. I believe that's the only damage Corrin did to me during our fight." I rubbed my head, wincing as I touched a welt forming from my fall.

My brother hummed. "So that was your twin you were talking about."

"Yes, it was. My twin sister or not, Father's orders are absolute. I'll kill them with my bare hands if I have to." _'If Azura doesn't disappear before I get to her.'_ I thought to myself, not wanting to raise any confusion with the possibility of Azura leading a way to her own demise.

He didn't say anything else that night as we silently traveled back to Castle Krakenburg.

* * *

"So that's what happened in Cheve then?" I asked after listening to Camilla's account of the battle against Corrin. It had been a week since we arrived back from Cyrkensia, Leo and Camilla returning with the few soldiers they had left from Cheve only three days ago. "I'm surprised that Corrin actually beat you, but I'm glad that Leo was sent out after you. If not, I can't imagine what would have happened if you fought against those resistance fighters."

"I can't help but think about what Corrin said about Father manipulating him and putting him in danger, even if it isn't true..." Camilla said, looking down at her lap sadly.

"It doesn't matter if his words are true or not, Camilla. He turned his back on Nohr and is fighting against us." When my sister stayed silent, I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't let my guard down and risk any of my siblings here getting hurt by him and his growing army. I'll do whatever I can do protect the family I have left, even if it comes to killing the ones I once thought of as siblings."

"You're talking about Azura?"

I nodded. "Yes, I am. If she sided with Hoshido, so be it. If I have to fight her in the future, then she'll have to pick a god and pray. War isn't a game."

"You've seemed to change since the day we attacked Hoshido, Teale." Camilla commented, making me raise a brow. "You worry me, darling. Did you want me to listen to you talk at all?"

"I'm fine, Camilla, truly. You needn't worry about me." I said, smiling as I lifted myself from my seat beside my sister. "It's late, so I think I'll be retiring to my room for the rest of the night. I suggest you do the same, since you're still wounded from battle. Good night, Sister." Without waiting for a response, I left the courtyard we were sitting in, walking inside to the stuffy walls of the castle as I thought to myself.

As much as I wanted to believe Corrin's words, telling us that Father was only manipulating him and didn't care for his safety, I couldn't fully find myself buying the story. Yes, the capital of Hoshido was attacked, but that wasn't Father's doing, was it? The soldiers there that were there weren't from Nohr, but from somewhere else. I shook my head. War was much more stressful and tiring than I thought, especially a war against those who you love. No matter what the cost, I have to protect the loved ones I have left in this gods forsaken world.

* * *

 _I couldn't decide what path to start with first, so I just started with the game I played first. Please let me know how you're liking the story so far and if you have any suggestions for future chapters._

 _R &R, thank you for reading this story, the support means a lot to me!_


	3. Pleasure Palace

Guest: It's very good. Please don't let Kaze die on the cliff please don't. Can you make a Teale x Flora?  
 _Thank you! I don't know if Kaze will fall off the cliff or not yet, who knows? -sarcastically shrugs- For pairings, I haven't thought about a concrete significant other for Teale yet. I thought about just leaving him single because I love all the women in Fire Emblem, but I feel as if I would have to make a child OC for Teale and I don't really have the time to draw them up as of now, but I will think about it!_

Guest: Is he already brainwashed by Garon? Will Teale join Hoshido in the conquest route? Can you make that Corrin or Azura will reason Teale back to normal?  
 _OOooooo I don't knowww -another sarcastic shrug-_

ARSLOTHES: Looking forward to the next chapter  
 _Here it is!_

Guest: Teale could Corrin meet in the hidden capital for the last fight  
Please let Kaze live at chapter 15.  
 _Maybe, maybe not~_

Andromeda: When are you going to update? I want to know more  
Andromeda: Please update  
 _Here I am! I do apologize for the wait, I've been working 9-11 hour days since I have an unreliable coworker, so when I get home, I end up not doing anything but taking a nap or lounge around._

 _I have been meaning to write this chapter for a couple weeks now, but I've recently started new medication, working almost nonstop, and then had Thanksgiving, so I'm sorry this is a little bit late. ;;; I also injured myself at work after finding out that my foot was bothering me, so I made that a little bit worse by dropping a 30 pound box of cans on it... I didn't have to go to the doctor though, I'm not limping anymore and it doesn't really hurt!_

 _I also forgot, but I do have a rough sketch of Teale drawn out, if you check out my tumblr blog called sarcasstic-meme, under a fire emblem tag. You'll have to search through it, but I hope you do like him!_

 _Thank you for being patient with me, and here's another chapter of Fire Emblem: If Revised!_

* * *

It had been only a couple weeks since Corrin's escape from the opera house in Cyrkensia and rumor of the mass murder of wolfskin near Kaen Peak. No doubt that the rumors were true, seeing as though his group had no other choices of escape. Iago had part in that plan, initiating a battle between the two forces and end Corrin's trail there, but of course, he succeeded.

As of now, I stood waiting in the grand hall of the palace with Flora after hearing that Corrin was spotted near our area. After our fight at the opera house, Father had been sent to Palace Macaroth, training mercilessly and waiting for the Hoshido troops to march through. All has been silent for the most part, and I was growing restless. Iago predicted that they would come this way, and though I despise the lizard, it seemed as though he was right.

Faint voices could be heard from the hallways and I watched as Flora became tense, a steel knife in her hand. I merely stood out of sight, leaning on the wall where my clothes I wore seamlessly blended into the shadows. Soon, multiple pairs of footsteps could be heard running our way.

"Intruders? Show yourselves!" She shouted, gripping her knife tighter.

"It looks like we have company. Brace yourselves and be ready for anything. Garon could have left a monster waiting for us. Or a trap. Or..." Corrin slowed down, his eyes widening. "Flora?!"

"Lord Corrin?"

"What are you doing here?!" Jakob asked, confused.

"Sister!"

Flora shook her head. "Why are all of YOU here? This is super dangerous! There's an unused room nearby- let's get out of here and talk." I shook my head. Flora hadn't noticed that I was listening in on her conversation. Quietly, I pushed myself off the wall and followed the small group into another hall that was only lit with a few torches.

"All right. We should be safe here for a while. It's so good to see you again, Lord Corrin!"

Corrin smiled. "You too, Flora. I miss everyone from Nohr. Except King Garon, of course. Anyways, what are you doing here?" I rolled my eyes at the exclusion of the king, finding myself smiling at the comment.

"After you left, everyone in the Northern Fortress was sent away. I got my orders to come here, and that was it."

"I'm so sorry. I know my decision impacted a lot of people."

"It's okay. I'm actually happy to be here. Your decision really opened my eyes to what was going on. Now I'm just glad I don't have to see King Garon every day..." Flora easily answered, closing her eyes. My eyes narrowed at their interactions, knowing full well that Flora knew Corrin was to be killed if confronted.

"I see. I'm glad to hear it, Flora."

She shook her head. "So... how did the rest of you end up here?"

"I'm sorry, but it's a long story, and right now we need medicine for my brother." Ryoma interrupted. "Can you help us?"

"Yes, of course. Nobody works at the apothecary anymore, but it's fully stocked. I'm sure I can sneak out whatever you need."

Ryoma looked down at the blue haired maid. "You'd do that for us?"

"Of course! Any friend of Lord Corrin's is a friend of mine. After I get the medicine, I'll show you how to sneak out the back door of the palace. Prince Teale is residing here at the moment, but he should be asleep at this hour."

"Thank you, Flora. You may be saving my brother's life." Ryoma smiled.

Corrin stepped forward. "Wait, you said Teale was here?"

"Yes, he was sent here almost immediately after he had returned from Cyrkensia. All that he said was that he had orders from King Garon to train harder after his last battle with you, Lord Corrin." Flora responded. "Now, we must-"

Before she could finish, a burst of fire exploded near the group, startling them into grabbing their weapons. In a flash, Iago stood in the hall, smiling wickedly.

"Iago!" Corrin said, glaring at the man.

"Hello, Corrin. Happy to see me again?"

"What do you want? You're massively outnumbered here."

Iago merely laughed. "Oh ho! So quickly you begin speaking of battle. Where's the witty banter? One mustn't leap straight into battle without a little banter. It's uncivilized! Also, as usual, you're badly misinformed. You're the one who's outnumbered."

"How did you know we were here? Were you the one who attacked the hideout in Cheve?"

"Oh, I'd love to take crdit for that, but I'm afraid it belongs to one of your friends."

"What are you saying?"

Flora stayed silent, glaring at the tactician before her. "Ah, dearest Flora. I didn't realize you were here. Kicked out of Garon's inner circle, were you?"

"I don't have anything to say to you." I raised an eyebrow at her disobedience.

"Ooh, saucy! I like it. Maybe I'll kill you last." Iago commented, licking his lips.

"Iago, I'm ordering you to leave at once! I am an official employee of this palace, and you are NOT. Remember, this is King Garon's royal villa. What would he say about you destroying it with a battle?"

"Oh, you're so wrong. I can do anything as long as I get results. Like this- see?" He summoned another burst of fire, this time hitting Flora, who yelped at the injury before falling to her hands and knees. "That's for talking back. Now, who's next? You'll all bed the knee before I'm finished."

"Lord Corrin... RUN!" Flora shouted before another fire spell knocked her to the side, unconscious.

"No! Flora!" Felicia kneeled by her sister, grabbing her hand.

"She's just taking a little nap. Now, I'm feeling all bantered out. Let's get down to business."

From the spot where I was standing, I could see Corrin's hands visibly shaking. "You'll pay for this, Iago."

"Wonderful. A pithy final statement from our hero. Unfortunately this is no fairy tale, Prince Corrin. King Garon would like your head on a platter, and I'm not one to disappoint him."

"How's this for pithy? GET HIM!" Corrin ordered as soldiers filed out of multiple rooms, Iago fleeing to the main hall of the palace. Shaking my head, I followed the tactician, careful to stay out of the way of anyone fighting. I had decided that it was most likely a good idea to stay out of the way and merely observe the events that are bound to happen here. Once again, I had found a good spot in the main hall to observe Iago and Corrin's army. Cracking my neck, I sat down, crossing my legs and laying my sword over my lap. From the upper level I was on, there weren't any soldiers and it would be easy to see and hear the soldiers fighting with one another.

It soon became apparent that Iago had larger numbers, yes, but he was out skilled. Corrin's troops obviously had training and were here to fight, not for glory like Nohrian soldiers were when they had become soldiers. Corrin walked calmly into the great hall, his eyes landing on Iago.

"And here we are, at last. I've been waiting for you." Iago nearly purred.

"I'm done talking. It's time to finish this." Corrin stated, readying his sword.

"Oh, I agree. HAH!" The tactician barked out a laugh, casting a spell that I recognized as Ginnungagap. Leo had told me that it was a downright nasty spell for someone to be on the receiving end of. I watched in fascination as a dark blast with multiple colors erupted near Corrin, who easily dodged it. Before I could even blink, Corrin had struck down Iago, much to my surprise. I tilted my head as Corrin confronted him once more.

"This is it, Iago. Now, I just need to know one thing. Answer truthfully, and I'll be merciful. Who told you that we were here?"

Iago coughed roughly before laughing, shaking his head weakly at the prince.

"I assure you, you have nothing to laugh about. Tell me now! Or else..."

"Or else you'll have to doubt your own people. Right?" My eyes widened in surprise at Iago's answer.

"What?!" Corrin exclaimed, his grip on the Yato growing tighter.

"You, betrayer of Nohr, are now being betrayed yourself. Now, I think I'd like to savor the irony just a while longer, so... Good bye!" Just like he had entered the palace, the tactician disappeared in a bright flash.

Corrin ran forward, examining the area. "How can he just... disappear... like that?"

"When will you learn, young prince? You think that was really me? I almost feel bad for you." Iago's voice rang through the empty palace. "From this moment on, you'll never be able to let your guard down. Who will be the first to stab you in the back? Who can you really trust?"

"Shut up..." My brother muttered, shaking his head.

"Very well, Corrin. Good luck." It was once again silent as Iago was truly gone. Corrin groaned, obviously irritated with the situation at hand. Before they could leave the grand hall, I made my way quietly and quickly to Flora, who was still unconscious. I sighed, crouching down on the ground off to the side as Corrin and a few of his troops followed. Flora groaned, informing me that she was in fact, alive.

"Flora, are you all right?"

She gripped her head as she sat up. "Yeah, I think so. What happened to Iago?"

"He's gone. We had him for a second there, but then he slipped away. In any case, he can't hurt you anymore."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"Unfortunately, he left us with some rather troubling words. He implied that there's another traitor among us."

Takumi shook his head, facing Corrin. "Come on, Corrin! Do you really believe that? He's just trying to mess with your head."

"You're probably right. But I have to admit... I do feel a bit uneasy."

"That's not like you at all. You usually trust everybody!"

"I know, but it's just that..." Corrin stopped once he heard Takumi start breathing heavily. "No! Is your fever coming on stronger?"

"I feel so... sluggish..." Takumi muttered before collapsing to his knees.

"Takumi!" Corrin called out. Sakura crouched down to his level, putting her hands on Takumi's face.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, this isn't good- his fever is s-spiking. We really need that medicine!"

"All right, now that Iago's gone, I should be able to get into the apothecary. But... I still don't know what I'm looking for."

"O-of course. I'll come with you. Let's go!" Corrin had grabbed Takumi and put one of his arms around his shoulder as he followed the girls to the apothecary. I sighed, pushing myself up from the ground to follow them. It seemed that they were all too distracted with the younger prince being sick that they didn't notice that I had been watching them this whole time.

Once they had all gotten to the small medicine room, Takumi was placed on a bed where Sakura was already waiting with the medicine in her hands. Once he had taken the medicine, Takumi seemed to doze off to sleep within a few minutes.

"It looks like he's sleeping soundly. So the medicine must have worked."

"Y-yes. He should be fine now. He just needs plenty of rest."

"Thank you, Sakura." Corrin smiled at his younger sister.

"Yay! Oh, I'm glad he's doing better." Flora cheered, a smile on her face.

The white haired prince turned around. "Yes, thank you for your help, Flora. I hate to think about what could have happened if you hadn't been here."

"Please, don't mention it. We're just lucky that Lord Teale was sleeping this whole time. So... what are you going to do now, Lord Corrin? Iago knows exactly where you are..."

"Yes, that's true. But I thiknk we have to stick to the original plan and head to the capital."

"Oh... I see. I guess I was kind of hoping that you'd stop by my village first."

That caught Corrin's attention. "Really? Why?"

"To be honest, I don't feel safe here anymore. I want to go home! But it makes sense for you, too. the Ice Tribe village isn't controlled by Nohr. You could take shelter there and plan your next move. And Takumi could get some much-needed rest." Flora offered.

"But what if King Garon finds out that your village is cooperating with us? Aren't you worried about what could happen?"

"I think the village will be all right. It's full of strong warriors! If soldiers were to invade, the villagers would simply freeze them in place!" Felicia comforted her sister with a small smile on her face.

Corrin laughed softly. "I guess that's true."

"Ooh, this is exciting! I've always wanted to show you my home village, Lord Corrin. Remember how we used to dream about this, Flora?"

"Yes. Yes, we did..." Flora muttered, looking at the ground.

"Very well. This should throw the Nohrian army off our track, at least for a while. Thank you for the offer, Flora." Corrin nodded at the blue haired maid.

"Of course! It's my pleasure."

"Let's give Takumi a few more minutes to rest and then get moving." Corrin ordered.

Takumi groaned from his bed. "Be careful..."

"Takumi? What do you mean?" Corrin stepped closer to the bed.

"Brother... something's not right... Look behind the curtain... Outside the door..." He groaned once more. I tensed up after hearing him tell them my location, holding my breath for a moment. Maybe I needed to talk to them after all.

"He's delirious! Did that make any sense to anyone else?" Pausing for an answer, Corrin sighed. "That must be some fever dream he's having..."

Sakura shook her head. "I-I don't know, Corrin. He sounded lucid for a second there..."

"Yes, I suppose he did..."

I scoffed as I turned the corner, shaking my head. "I'm not sure, it seems like he's pretty aware in his sleep." Everyone's attention turned towards me as Corrin instinctively put a hand on his sword.

"Teale, you-"

"Oh, hush now." I waved my hand. "Your brother is sleeping, right? Give him some time to find some energy before you guys head out."

"Lord Teale, how long have you been awake?" Flora asked, visibly nervous.

I sighed, crossing my arms as I leaned on the door frame. "I've been awake most the night. I sat on the sidelines and merely watched what happened. Iago doesn't play fair, does he?"

"I don't understand, y-you're not going to attack us?" Sakura quietly asked, stepping out from behind Corrin.

"I don't have a reason to, not right now. Besides, I'm asleep right now. I had no idea that any of you are here right now." I smirked as Corrin relaxed.

Corrin was silent for a moment, before smiling softly. "Teale..."

"Just because I let you off this one time doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you the next. And don't think that I'm on your side, I just don't fight people when they're already down." I looked away, scrunching my nose. "Even so, if you do have a traitor, there might be the possibility that Father will somehow find out that I let you go, and I'll be severely punished."

"Then why not attack us now and end it here?"

"I may be a soldier and a prince of Nohr, but I still have a conscious." I glanced over to Takumi as I noticed him fingers moving. "Looks like he's waking up. You all better head out soon before any more soldiers come around."

Flora stepped forward. "Lord Teale, are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"I'm sure. Now get going, I need to go to bed some time tonight." I sighed. "I need my beauty rest, damnit..." I had mumbled to myself, but Corrin obviously heard me from the smile growing on his face.

"So I see that Xander still hasn't taken care of your cursing habit."

I could feel my ears growing warm as I glared at Corrin. "W-what's it to you? So what if I have a foul mouth?! This habit isn't anywhere near as bad as some of the other ones out there!"

Corrin laughed before walking over to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Teale, thank you so much."

"No problem, brother. And you better get going or else I'm going to have to kick you out." I stepped out of the way as I watched Corrin and his siblings leave. Felicia followed close by as Flora paused, looking at me. I nodded to her before she walked out of the room. Once their footsteps disappeared, I sighed. It was too bad, really. To think that we would have to fool them right in front of their faces, just because Corrin was so willing to trust people from the moment he met was his flaw, sadly. In this world, not all people are meant to be trusted, something I had learned from a young age. Most people would be wary of newcomers, or even enemies they once lived with for years.

Reaching my arms over my head, I stretched before leaving the apothecary. Even with this plan going accordingly, I doubt that I'll be able to get any sleep tonight. I somehow felt guilty after witnessing tonight's events. Corrin was so determined to stop King Garon and end this war, trying to gather all the allies he could, even if they did side with Nohr. He's the enemy, going against my home, _our home_ , and yet, I...

I somehow wanted to be by his side.

* * *

 _I feel like this chapter is kind of shorter than the other ones, but I'm starting to get tired and I need to wake up early for work... Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoyed, please let me know what you think! I'll try and update again really soon!_

 _R &R and thank you again!_


	4. Leo

Andromeda: Yay new chapter. Just two questions: Will Teale help Hoshido in the conquest route? Will Teale die in your story? Sorry I like him but Im curious.  
 _I have an idea on what's going to happen on the Conquest route, but that's going to stay a secret!_

Guest: Update please  
 _Sorry for the wait!_

GhostDespair: I really hope you update soon  
 _I've been meaning to update for a while, but haven't really gotten to it, I'm sorry!_

 _I'm sorry I haven't updated this story, or any of my others. Christmas was kind of chaotic, and then New Years wasn't much better for me. I've been having a few health problems recently and I decided that I should probably update while I actually have my mind on it, so here it is! Again, sorry for the wait!_

* * *

I yelled in frustration as I continued to destroy anything I could find in my room. News of Flora's death had reached me, after my siblings decided as to who should tell me. Fortunately, no one had to tell me, as I heard them discussing the matter near the training room I was headed for. We both knew that there were risks in the plan Flora had told me, and we both expected her to succeed. Not for her life to end by being burned alive. Deep down, I knew that Flora had decided that if she didn't win this fight, she would end her life before going back to King Garon, but a small part of me couldn't accept that.

That had been a couple days ago. I still had sudden fits of anger as I either lay in bed or pace around the room in frustration. Leo had come by a few times, but only made it so far as my door. It had been locked for a while now, since I first started to throw any item in my room that I could see. While I tried to calm down, I listened to Leo talk to me through the door. The way Corrin was going, it seemed that he was going to be heading to the Woods of the Forlorn. It was the most direct way to the castle, and at this point, Corrin's army seemed to be winning this little war.

Shaking my head, I grabbed my sword and strapped it to my waist as I left the room. Leo said that he was being sent to the woods to finally get rid of Corrin. Not that I doubted my brother, but I felt as if I needed to be there. If it was for answers, I prayed to whatever would hear me at this point. I silently walked down to the stables, ignoring anyone that tried to greet me or even ask where I was going. They weren't important right now. All I needed to do was see Corrin face to face and demand answers for this unforgivable death of Flora.

"Lord Teale, what are you-"

"Prepare me a horse as quickly as you can, and when I leave, do not inform anyone here." I interrupted the stable maid as I stood in the doorway. She scrambled around, but saddled a horse in record time. "Did Leo leave already?"

"Y-yes, he left only a few hours ago..." She trailed off as she handed the reins over to me.

I sighed as I pushed myself off the ground and seated myself on the horse. At least I still had time to find them before someone else I cared about died.

Getting to the Woods of the Forlorn was quicker than I remembered. I slowed my horse down before jumping off of it, drawing my sword once I started to walk deeper into the woods. Dead Faceless were scattered across the ground as grew closer to the sound of weapons clashing together. Faceless that were actually still alive at this point didn't think to attack me, which greatly helped me in getting to my brother quicker.

"Lord Teale? What're you doing here!?" I paused as I heard Niles call out to me, looking as if he was retreating.

"I'm here to help Leo. If you're retreating and I'm assuming Odin is as well, then I have to stop Corrin myself." I said as I continued to walk. "Go nurse your wounds and I'll take care of it." Thankfully, he didn't comment anymore and if he did, I was already out of hearing range.

It wasn't hard to find Corrin, since he was wearing white and blue armor, obviously of Hoshidan origin. He stood before Leo, who held his tome in his hand as their conversation made its way to my ears.

"I suppose that means I'll have to kill you with my own hands." Leo stated, a smile on his face.

"Leo, be honest. Did you really mean what you said earlier? Have you... have you really always hated me? Because..." Corrin paused. "I've always loved you."

"There's no point in answering that. It's all over now." Even from the distance I was at, I could see the hesitation in my brother's eyes as he readied himself for an attack. As Corrin ran forward, Leo quickly summoned his magic, having Brynhildr create an enormous tree from the ground. The Hoshido prince easily dodged it as he brought his sword up to attack. It was obvious that Corrin had already surpassed Leo in battle, as after only a few strikes, the blond was breathing heavily as he crouched on the ground, his steed long forgotten after he was knocked off.

As if something snapped, I rushed forward, blocking Corrin's sword as it was about to hit Leo once again.

"Teale?!" Both Corrin and Leo shouted, confused. I bared my teeth as I roughly pushed Corrin, watching as he stumbled back.

"I won't allow you to dispose of my loved ones anymore! I'll defeat you here if I have to, but not before I get answers!" I shouted, rushing forward with Mercym held tightly in my hand. Almost mindlessly, I swung my sword around, recalling every trick I knew when it came to sword fighting.

"Teale, you're mistaken-"

I yelled out in fury as I locked blades with Corrin. "What is there to mistake? Flora is dead because of you!"

"We- I didn't kill her! She ended her life by herself!" Corrin argued, pushing forward so our faces were only inches apart.

"That's bullshit!" I growled, throwing my head forward and squinting my eyes as our foreheads painfully met. Corrin groaned as he stumbled back, lowering his sword. Kicking him in the stomach, he finally fell backwards, his guard completely down. "I'll make you pay for what you did!" Just as I raised my sword above my head, a sharp pain in my shoulder and arm made me gasp as I dropped Mercym to the ground. Glancing to my right, two arrows had embedded themselves in my forearm and right above my collarbone. Suddenly, I was pushed backwards, hitting my head on the sharp ground below me.

"Teale!" I heard Leo call out as I rolled over to my left to push myself up. Corrin stood above me, a pained expression on his face.

"What're you waiting for? Why don't you kill me?" I hissed as I sat up, gripping my shoulder.

"No. Accept your defeat, and we can end this together."

Leo humorlessly laughed from in front of me. "Don't you see? This can't ever end! Not until one of us is dead."

"No! I can't accept that. There was no need for our kingdoms to be at war in the first place. This is all Father's doing, Leo! He fooled us all!"

"You've always been naive, Corrin. This is war! This is life and death! Only the strong survive! If Nohr bows down, we'll lose everything. Our land and our people... our culture and our legacy... Our families... even our lives. I won't let Hoshido take anything more from us! I won't back down!" Leo shouted.

Corrin shook his head. "Am I the one who's naive? Or it is you, blind to Garon's lust for power?"

I barked a laugh as I pulled the arrow from my arm. "As though the Hoshidans have never ended a life to serve their own purpose."

"Exactly. They would slit your throat in an instant if they thought it served them."

"That's not true!" Corrin argued. "From the moment I arrived in Hoshido, I was treated as if I belonged. The same goes for Azura, and even Teale. King Garon is mad with power, and he must be stopped!" My eyes widened as he stepped forward, pointing the Yato towards Leo's face. "Don't move an inch, or I will be forced to end you."

Leo scoffed. "I don't doubt your ability to hurt me, dear brother. Go on. Kill me. End this battle just as you wish." When Corrin stayed silent, Leo shook his head. "What are you waiting for? I'm not helpless, even in this position. I could kill you right now with a spell. Make your move."

"No..."

"Why? What's wrong with you?"

Corrin squinted at the blond. "Me? What's wrong with you? Why haven't you cast your spell?"

"Because..."

"Leo, I know you. We grew up together. I know you've got a good, kind heart."

"Shut up!"

"No, listen..."

Leo shook his head. "I told you to shut up! What makes you think you understand anything about me?!"

"Because we're family, Leo. Regardless of my true lineage, I'll always think of you as my little brother." Leo angrily sighed as I chuckled to myself. "I won't even give up on you. You said you'd kill me... but I'm still here. If you really wanted me dead, you could have done it a dozen times by now. I believe in our bond, Leo. I have to believe you wouldn't really kill me. As one who betrayed Nohr, maybe I don't have the right to say this but... I don't want to fight against you, or Teale, or anyone in Nohr, but especially my family. I still love you, Brother. That will never, even change."

Leo sighed as he carefully pushed himself up from the ground. "I... I'm sorry, Brother. I lied to you."

"Leo. It's okay."

"I never hated you. Not... not ever. I was jealous at times, sure. You were always Xander's favorite. And Camilla... she always doted on you so..."

I groaned from my spot on the ground. "What am I, chopped liver? I was always there for you, Leo! And since we're sharing, so what if I have a hot head? That doesn't mean since I attacked you multiple times I want you dead!" I tried pushing myself off the ground, but fell back down when my arm responded by shooting pain all the way up to my collarbone. "Ah, shit!"

"I understand. There's no need to say anything more. But, Leo, Teale... please. Please join us! Help us put an end to this war."\

"You're asking us to betray our father. And Xander. And everyone else... How can we do that? I can't hurt our siblings! I won't do it!"

Corrin sighed. "I... I can't answer that. Only you can. I'll admit, it's a tough road to tread."

"You'll have to find your own reasons for joining us. We can't give you the answers. But I do have something that can help you... clarify your thoughts." Azura explained, walking over towards me. She crouched down, carefully helping me to my feet.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I stood up, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to clear my vision.

"Take this. Look deep inside it. You might find it helpful." She answered, handing a white rock the size of her palm to Leo.

"Huh? What is it? It looks like some kind of crystal." Leo speculated, turning the stone over in his hands.

"It's..." Azura paused, as if searching for the correct words. "... not something I can explain. You'll just have to try it for yourself."

Leo nodded slowly. "I see... Understood." He looked up at my younger sister. "So you're Azura, Teale's younger twin. You were originally a princess of Nohr, right? Does that mean... Are we related?"

"Yes, I am Azura. But I'm afraid we're not related."

"But I thought-" Corrin started, but stopped when she raised a hand.

"I'm afraid I haven't been able to share everything about our past quite yet..." Azura quietly answered.

"Does that mean you're not originally from Nohr after all? Why are you being mysterious? Why can't you just come out with it?"

"I assure you- I have my reasons. If Teale hasn't told you anything, it's because we have already given you everything you need to find the answers. That's all we can do."

Leo was silent for a moment. "Very well."

"Leo, what are you going to do?" Corrin asked.

"Look at a rock, apparently." I rolled my eyes as I wrapped my good arm around Leo's shoulders, looking at the crystal in his hands. Leo silently sighed, choosing to ignore my comment.

"I don't know. I'm not ready to completely forgive you for betraying Nohr and tearing our family apart. There are a lot of questions that I need answered."

"I see. Teale?"

Looking up towards Corrin, I moved my hand off of Leo's shoulder in an 'I don't know' gesture, since I couldn't really shrug at the moment.

"To be honest, all of this may be moot. None of you realize just how strong Xander has become."

"Leo, I've sparred with Xander dozens of times. I know he's strong, but I'm ready."

I pressed my lips together and raised my eyebrows as Leo barked out a laugh. "You mean your friendly little tickling contests up on the roof? You do know he always went easy on you, right? You... know that, right? Xander means business now, Corrin. He is not to be taken lightly. You may have stopped me, Teale, and my small army of Faceless today..."

"But I doubt the lot of you could defeat Xander all at once." I finished for Leo.

"He can't be... THAT powerful... Can he?" Corrin asked, his brows furrowed together.

"What can we do, Leo?" Azura asked.

"Truly, there may be nothing you can do. But I know one thing you can TRY. Make a pilgrimage to Notre Sagesse."

Ryoma crossed his arms. "Notre Sagesse... land of the philosophers? What possible benefit lies there?"

"Notre Sagesse is home to the Rainbow Sage. I don't know who he is or what he does, but both Xander and Teale visited him ages ago. Upon returning, they both put on a display of power the likes of which I've never seen."

"I hate to ask... but how far away is Notre Sagesse from here?"

"It's more than halfway back to Hoshido, I'm afraid. The most direst route there would take us back through Cyrkensia. And then we'd still have a lengthy boat ride ahead of us..." Ryoma answered, closing his his eyes.

Corrin sighed. "Then it's hopeless. We've come too far together to backtrack like that."

"So what will you do, then? Facing off against Xander as you are now is one of the many forms of suicide." I stated, carefully pushing myself off of Leo to stand on my own.

"I suppose I have no choice, I'll have to go to Notre Sagesse alone."

Takumi stepped forward, surprise on his face. "Are you serious, Corrin? Please don't tell me you believe these clowns."

"Takumi, I've known both Leo and Teale my whole life. I believe they're telling the truth about Xander. So, even though this is a setback... I believe it gives us the best chance at victory." Corrin explained.

"Unbelievable." The archer shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm not asking anyone else to come with me."

"Who said anything about not going with you? I just want to make sure you think long and hard about this." Takumi stated, crossing his arms.

Corrin looked confused. "But..."

"We're all with you, Corrin." Hinoka assured him with a smile on her face. "Right, everyone?"

"Of c-course!" Sakura immediately agreed.

"Really, I can make this pilgrimage alone..."

Ryoma slapped a hand onto his younger brother's shoulder. "Nonsense! We can stand with you, Corrin."

"Did you really have any doubt? We will all follow your lead." Azura chimed in, a smile also on her face.

"Thank you, everyone. I'm... humbled to have your confidence and support. Especially you, Ryoma. To think... you could be king right now..."

"Very well. I suppose if you're all determined to do this... I shouldn't hold this back. Please, take this." I looked over to Leo to see him handing Corrin one of his tomes.

"What is it, Leo? A book?"

Leo nodded. "Yes, a warp book. It has the powe to transport you instantly to Notre Sagesse. Consider it an even trade for the item Azura gave to me."

"What?! That can't be possible, can it?" Corrin asked, clearly thinking of a way to repay Leo.

I whistled. "Man, I wish I could get my hands on one of those books. Just take it and run, Corrin."

"Oh yes, Corrin. Believe it. This is why I've always put my faith in books rather than blades. Given the size of your party, I'd say this book has the power for ONE round trip. So, don't push your luck with it..."

"One round trip should be plenty. Thank you, Leo!"

"Yes, well... I wasn't sure that helping you would be the right decision. But after seeing how determined you are... I suppose it just seems right. You've always been a bit reckless, haven't you?" My blond haired brother shook his head.

"Thank you, Leo."

"It's time for us to go now. We'll see each other again. I'm sure of it."

"I mean, if I don't bleed out first." I sighed as Leo pulled me up by my left arm onto his horse. "By the way, whoever shot me, good aim!" Takumi smirked as Sakura started to profusely apologize. With that, Leo had already started his way out of the forest. I sighed, wrapped an arm around Leo to make sure I didn't fall off of his horse.

Once we were out of the forest, he slowed his steed down to a trot. "So you did hear me talking to you through your door then?"

"Yeah, during the few times I wasn't throwing everything around in my room." I grimaced. "Hopefully, no one has walked into my room yet."

"Quite a few butlers and maids were informing us that you were causing a lot of ruckus for the last couple days." Leo commented.

"Obviously I wasn't in my right mind."

He was silent for a moment. "Because of Flora's death?"

"Yes." I quietly answered. "Before Corrin went to the Ice Village, we had planned for her to just stop him there, and if she couldn't, she told me that she would rather die than to come back to serve under Father. Part of me told me that Corrin had killed her, but I knew that wasn't the case. I couldn't stop myself from coming out here to demand answers from Corrin, because I was afraid that you would also be killed."

Leo hummed. "I'm still here. I'm not as weak as you think I am."

"I didn't say you were weak." When he stayed silent, I pursed my lips. "If I wasn't injured right now, you know you would be gripping your sides, asking me for forgiveness."

"Yes, I know that. It'll take quite some time to go back home, so I suggest you be quiet on the way back and if you're not, I'll tell Camilla and Elise what happened to your arm."

"...Fair enough."

I sighed as I put my forehead in between my brother's shoulder blades. I was silent as I began to think of how it was before this little war started, before Corrin had left us for Hoshido, and how happy we were as a family.

Would we ever go back to the way it was?

* * *

 _I'm sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than the other ones, but I'm a little pressed on time, and I think I've made you all wait enough. I will try to update more often this year, and hopefully work doesn't get too much in the way of my updates!_

 _Which reminds me, I will most likely not be updating on January 15th specifically, since I have a major doctor appointment that day. I'll try my best to get another chapter out by then, but if not, it will be out soon after._

 _My birthday is also coming up soon on the 10th, so I'll be out of town that day as well._

 _Once again, I'm sorry for a delay, and let me know what you think of this chapter! Your criticism is always appreciated!_


	5. Burning Falls

_Hello again! I said I would update before a certain time, but here I am, updating probably a month afterwards... Honestly, my mental health isn't making me feel the best lately, so I've just been keeping to myself and talking to close friends of mine to keep myself busy._

 _I did revise the last chapter a little bit at the end, since it needed to fit in with this chapter. I realized that after the chapter 'Leo', said person didn't actually come back to Krakenburg as quickly as I thought. So I changed it really quick and started working on this chapter._

 _But in any case, here's another chapter! This will be longer that the last chapter, so I hope you all enjoy! I'm sure within two or three more chapters, we'll be moving onto the Conquest route, which I've been thinking a lot about. And by a lot, I mean, a lot._

 _Enjoy~_

* * *

"So Iago has failed yet again. Pitiful. I'll have to dispose of him one of these days... No matter. Plan B will spring into action anytime now. Oh... and to see the look on Corrin's face when it does..." King Garon began to laugh manically as Elise flinched away from the door she was pressing her ear onto.

"No, Father... How could you?" She mumbled to herself.

"Hello, Elise. Might I ask what you're doing here?"

Elise jumped in surprise, quickly turning around to see her eldest brother. "Gah! Xander, don't spook me like that."

"Be honest-were you spying on Father?" Xander asked, an eyebrow raised.

"... Yes."

Xander sighed. "Elise. You should know better. Father would not be pleased if he found out someone was listening in on him. Even you would likely face some unpleasant consequences."

"I know. It's just..." The young princess trailed off before she started to cry.

"Elise! What's wrong?"

"I don't know what to do! Corrin is gone... Leo and Teale are gone... Camilla is so depressed that she hardly even leaves her quarters. What's happened to our family, Xander? How can we go back to the way things were?"

"Else..." Xander clenched his jaw before continuing. "Don't worry, Sister. When this war is over, everything will go back to normal."

Elise sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "R-really? But how can you be so sure?"

"Because I believe. That's why I can keep fighting in the face of heartache. We must all believe that what we're doing is for the greater good. We must trust in our cause and fight for it with all we have! That's all we can do, at least for now."

* * *

Ryoma sighed as he looked out into the blue sky above them. "Well, we had to take the long way around, but we're finally here. This ferry will take us right to your childhood home, Corrin."

"I know. I'm having a hard time believing this is really happening." He muttered to himself.

"Yeah, well, don't get too nostalgic or anything." Takumi rolled his eyes. "As soon as we step off this boat, there won't be any place to hide."

Corrin nodded. "You're right. We should begin preparing for battle now. There won't be any time to rest once we reach the dock."

"Before we get to that, I need to brief you on something, Corrin."

"Yes?"

The samurai continued. "Just before we boarded this vessel, I received a message from Yukimura."

"Really? How is that possible?!" Corrin's eyes widened.

"He sent a young pegasus rider from the Bottomless Canyon to find us. Both rider and steed appeared exhausted. Sakura is tending to them now."

"I see. So, what was the message?"

Ryoma pressed his lips together. "It's bad news, I'm afraid. Yukimura reports that the royal troops are still holding the line in Hoshido. But it appears that soldiers from Mokushu have joined Nohr in attacking us. It sounds like it's only a matter of time until our defenses are breached."

"No!"

"It gets worse. That message is at least several weeks old. I wouldn't be surprised to find that the situation has deteriorated even further."

"It sounds like we don't have much time left." Corrin shook his head. "We need to defeat Garon and end this war before our castle falls. How long until we reach our destination?"

"Another day-maybe two. According to the captain, we need to go far upstream to reach a docking point." Ryoma explained.

Takumi stepped forward. "But... according to the map that the Rainbow Sage gave us... Our destination is directly across the river from us. Why can't we go straight there?"

The high prince hummed to himself. "I'm not sure. The captain didn't indicate that we had any options."

"Look. Right there." Takumi squinted at the map before pointing to a spot. "A port marked Demon's Fall on the map."

"Demon's Fall? Show me!" Ryoma and Corrin moved to stand beside Takumi, carefully looking at the map where the archer was pointing.

"He's right. It's handwritten very faintly right there." Corrin glanced up at his older brother. "Have you heard of the place, Ryoma?"

"Yes, but I believed it to be a legend. They say it's a waterfall made of fire, which seemed to fantastical to be true."

"Perhaps it's worth checking out. It could save us a few precious days."

Takumi quickly folded the map. "Well, we better decide quickly. We're coming up on a fork in the river!"

"I believe it's worth a shot. What do you say, Corrin?"

"I agree. We must act quickly... or else there may no longer BE a Hoshido to save. I think we're ready to take on anything we might find at Demon's Fall. Who's with me?"

"We're all with you, Corrin!" Ryoma nodded. "I'll inform the captain."

* * *

"Leo, my back hurts." I complained as I had a cheek pressed into his back. It had felt like forever since we started our journey away from the Woods we battled Corrin at. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if it had been more than a few days. "I bet Elise is worried about us. Camilla too; she doesn't have anyone to dote on while the both of us are away. I wonder if Xander-"

"Teale, please, just stop talking." Leo groaned as he pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. I could just imagine the roll of the eyes that he had the habit of doing when talking to me. "Do you recall when I said if you were quiet, I wouldn't say anything about your arm?"

"Yeah, and? My arm is basically healed already."

"Ah, Lord Teale, if I may interject," I turned my head towards Niles. "It seems like you're starting to make a trail of blood." With raised eyebrows, I looked behind us to see that there was indeed a small trail of blood drops coming from the tips of my fingers.

I hummed, looking at my limp arm. "So it seems." Now that I studied it, it looks like there's also some dried blood on the side of Leo's horse, already stained the right sleeve of my shirt, and started to dry underneath my fingernails.

"Teale, why didn't you say anything about your arm?" Leo carefully asked, trying to keep his temper in check.

I tried to shrug with one shoulder. "I don't know, I didn't even notice it was bleeding. I honestly can't really feel it right now."

"Odin, Niles, do either of you have a Vulnerary or Concoction?"

"I do not, Lord Leo. It seems it slipped my mind to pack any." Niles replied.

"Neither do I! I'm afraid that I had forgot to buy any before we left!" Odin nearly shouted, making me wince.

"That's alright, I don't mind."

Leo scoffed. "You should mind, Teale. You're bleeding out, and making a trail for someone to follow."

"What do you want me to do about it? I don't know how to use a Heal staff and I can't really bandage it up myself, since it's basically dead weight at this point!" I lightly hit my forehead in between Leo's shoulder blades, making his jerk slightly forward.

"We'll stop for now so we can actually dress your wound. We'll continue traveling tomorrow once we're sure it's not bleeding." Leo ordered as he stopped the horse. "Niles, have you been practicing using staves?"

"Indeed I have. I completely forgot that I had a staff on me." Niles smirked as I glared down at the man.

"I feel like that was a lie." I stated as Leo helped me down from the horse. "If you know how to use it, then please try to at least stop the bleeding. I think I'm starting to get light headed."

Leo sighed, shaking his head. "Why me?"

I shook my head with a grin as I sat down on the ground to rest. Falling silent, I stared up at the sky and listened to Odin and Niles bicker back and forth while Leo was trying to stop them. For some reason, something in the pit of my stomach told me that something horrible was going to happen very soon. But what?

* * *

"This is quiet the passage. It's more like a catacomb than a tunnel." Ryoma looked around the stone walls underneath the capital of Nohr in amazement.

"Yeah, there's some spooky stuff down here for sure!" Elise smiled as she skipped beside Corrin.

"Heh, Thank you for the warning. But I think we'll be alright."

"Yes, thank you so much for accompanying us here, Elise. We'll be all right from here. I'd recommend that you stay with Cassita for a while..."

Elise's smile fell. "What? Why?"

"Because... we're heading to the castle. That means we'll be facing off against King Garon, and likely Xander too. Things could get ugly, and there's no need for you to be there."

"So what you're saying is... you're going to try and kill Xander and Father. Right?"

Corrin paused, conflicted. "I...I'm afraid I must do whatever it takes to end this war. Ultimately, I have to do what's right for the people of Hoshido and Nohr. If that means killing King Garon or even Xander... Well..."

"I see..." Elise thought for a moment before continuing. "That settles it. I'm coming with you!"

"Huh?! No, Elise! It's too dangerous! And I can't let you fight your family! That's a burden I must bear alone."

"Oh, don't be silly. I'm not going to fight anyone, and neither are you! I'm not siding with or against you, Brother. I want to help bring both sides together! I want the war to end just as much as you do. So! I'm coming with you to let Xander and Father and everyone else know how I feel. They're still super mad at YOU, but maybe they'll hear me out! Maybe we CAN end the war without any more fighting! Don't we at least have to try to end this without hurting each other more?"

"Elise..." Corrin shook his head before smiling. "All right. I suppose you won't be in any danger from either side. Just promise me that you won't do anything reckless."

"Yep, yep! I promise!"

"All right, then. Let's get moving!" Corrin ordered as they continued to walk down the catacombs.

* * *

"So far, so good. This passage appears to be well traveled. Although... I see a fork in the road ahead. Which way do we go, Elise?"

"The path on the right leads to an area near my quarters. Camilla said that the other path leads more or less to the throne room."

Corrin nodded. "Right. Left path it is."

"But... she also said the left path is like a maze. She warned me to NEVER take that path, you guys!"

"Don't worry, Elise. You wouldn't believe what we've had to overcome to get here. I'm confident that we can get through anything together."

"If you say so..." Elise shifted her weight, looking down at the ground.

"What's the matter?"

"It's just... you almost seem like a different person now. You're so... commanding. I guess I just have to get used to you being all grown up..."

"It's true... I've done a lot of growing since I left Nohr. But don't worry, Elise. I'm still the same old Corrin. And I'll always do anything I can to protect you, Little Sister."

"Aw, thank you. I'm so glad you came back! I love you so much!" Elise jumped towards Corrin, latching onto his torso.

Corrin laughed, returning the hug. "Woah! Easy with the monster hugs, I almost fell over!" Elise only laughed in response, hugging her brother even tighter.

Soon, the group continued to walk, deciding on the left path towards the throne room.

"This part of the tunnel seems a bit ominous. Be on guard, everyone!" Ryoma ordered, a hand on the hilt of Raijinto.

"Yeah, are you seeing all of these traps?" Takumi commented. "Most of 'em have been sprung, but I bet there are even more that haven't."

Hinoka nodded. "And the ones that did spring look like they were pretty effective. I'm seeing more corpses that I'd like."

"C-corpses? Eek! I though those were just decorations to make it spooky!" Sakura squealed, hiding behind her older brother. "I'm scared, Corrin."

"It's okay, Sakura. If you want to close your eyes, I can lead you through this part."

"Oh..." The young princess breathed out a sigh of relief. "th-thank you so much..."

"What about me? I'm scared too!" Elise puffed her cheeks out as she stood beside Sakura, clearly jealous of the affection.

Corrin huffed a laugh, amused. "I can help lead you, too, Just come over to this side." Elise smiled as she skipped over to the other side of Corrin, immediately grasping onto his arm.

"Yay! Heehee!" Elise paused, looking around. "Uh-oh.. do you hear that? There's someone behind us!"

"Elise... Have you ever seen any Faceless down here?" Corrin carefully removed the girl from his arm as he drew Yato. From across the bridge, he saw a woman with purple hair walking their way.

"Ah, Elise. There you are! I've been looking all over for you."

"Camilla! What are you doing down here?"

"Like I said, I was looking for you. Are you hurt, darling? Who are these people? Are you being kidnapped right now?!" Within a few seconds, Corrin could see the beginning of Camilla's wrath brewing in front of them.

"What? No! These are-"

Camilla's eyes narrowed. "The Hoshidans! I knew it. Well, I'm so glad we could meet down here. How DARE you bother my baby sister. I shall now make you all dearly regret ever stepping foot in here!"

"Hold on, Camilla. It's me, Corrin! We're not kidnapping Elise!"

"Corrin! How can this be? You're back in Nohr!"

"It's..." Corrin paused. "...a long story."

"Well, have you come to your sense? Are you returning to Nohr for good?" Camilla softly smiled at her little brother.

"Oh...um... Sorry, but no. I want Hoshido and Nohr to be at peace, and that can't happen while Garon lives."

Camilla hummed. "I see. So you want to come back, but these awful people are still confusing your little head. Don't worry, darling. Big Sister is here to take care of these monsters for you!"

"Camilla, no! You don't understand!"

Elise stepped forward. "Please listen, Sister!"

"Don't worry, Elise. I promise to save our precious Corrin. Once I've killed all his friends, he's sure to remember his true family. Right? Right!" Camilla nodded to herself as she pulled out her axe, ready to fight for her brother's life.

* * *

I sighed as the castle came into view. It had taken a while, but we finally made it back. After resting a bit and patching up my arm, Leo decided that we were alright to travel. As of now, I had my arm in a makeshift sling to keep it lifted and to make sure I would notice if it started bleeding once again. Niles really did a good job making sure that the bleeding had stopped and I could at least feel my arm to the point where I could move my fingers slightly.

Walking through the desolate town, I stopped and looked around for a second.

"Teale, we need to report to Father." Leo stated, stopping to look back at me.

I waved at him with my left hand. "I'll meet you there, I want to see something really quick."

"But-" Turning to look at him, Leo stopped as he saw my expression and sighed. "Fine. But be careful, your arm isn't completely healed yet."

"I'll be fine." I shook my head with a smile as I walked towards the secret passage that I had found when I was playing outside as a child. Carefully, I removed the cape from my back and put it over my head to obscure my face slightly. Once I was out of sight, I had quickly and quietly made my way down old stone stairs that lead to the city under Nohr. I remember coming here when I had nothing to do as a child, or if I needed to go somewhere to calm down. Nonetheless, the lively city in the catacombs was so much different than the city above it.

Quickly weaving around the people, I made my way towards the path that lead straight to Elise's chambers. The only reason I knew it was there was because Camilla had shown it to our little sister, who in turn showed it to me before we promised to keep it a secret between the three of us. I slowed down to a stop when I came across the fork in the road. Tilting my head, I narrowed my eyes as I thought I heard the sounds of metal clashing down the left path. That path was the one that led to the throne room, so why would there be fighting going on that way?

Unless Corrin's group had gotten here before us. I shook my head as I quickly ran down the left path, hoping to find that I was wrong. I pushed myself to run faster as I started to come across Nohrian troops, laying on the ground unconscious or dead. Even if I made it there in time, I was useless with my sword hand out of commission. Shaking my head, I drew Mercym with my left hand, prepared to fight anyways. When I came to the passage that led to the throne room, I saw Camilla in front of Corrin, holding her arm as if she was hurt. I barely heard them talking as I slowed down to a walk, wiping the sweat from my brow.

"So... it wasn't meant to be... you coming back to us..." Camilla sadly stated. "And now it looks like I'm losing my precious Elise, too..." I frowned, looking over to see Elise standing with Corrin. What the hell was going on here?

"Camilla. You're not losing anyone. Elise is just coming with us to help persuade King Garon and Xander." Corrin explained.

"Persuade them? Is it... possible?"

Elise crossed her arms. "Well, we won't know until we try. We have to change their minds to stop the fighting! I'm just doing whatever I can to bring our family back together again. It turns out we all want the same thing, Camilla! To be together again!"

"Oh, Elise..."

"Listen. When the war is over, I want to establish a peaceful alliance. If Nohr and Hoshido are on cordial terms, we don't have to be estranged. I must believe that if I end the war, I'll be able to return to my family one day."

Camilla eyed Corrin carefully. "Do you really think peace is possible? I'd love to be a family again..."

"What is the point of believing otherwise? We will either forge a peaceful future or die trying."

"I see." The princess was silent for a moment. "Well, I suppose it would be wonderful if we could all get along... I think I understand what you're trying to do. I hope you can make it happen."

"Thank you, Camilla."

Camilla smiled, closing her eyes. "Yes... I can imagine it now. Xander, Teale, Leo, Elise, and... the Hoshidan Prince Corrin. We could all have a picnic! And there would be games, and food, and... Oh, dear... I'm feeling a bit woozy..." As soon as she said that, Camilla collapsed to the ground. Now that she said that, I was starting to realize that the people before me were a little bit blurry. Silently, I leaned against a wall not too far away from the conversation. Should I say something?

"Camilla, are you okay?" Elise asked, crouching down to her sister.

"Her pulse is strong, and she's breathing normally. I think she's fine. But she took quite a beating in that fight, and she must have been exhausted." The red haired woman shook her head. "No matter. We can take care of her. The rest of you are free to go."

"Oh? You won't try to stop us?" Corrin asked.

"Yeah! You heard what she said, right? We can't go against Lady Camilla's orders just because she's unconscious! As much as I'd like to keep fighting..."

The blue haired woman beside her silently sighed. "Selena... anger is clouding your judgement."

"Whatever, Beruka! I'm tired-why don't you pick up Camilla and carry her back to her quarters."

"Why me?"

Selena rolled her eyes. "Did you not hear me? I'm tired! That's why you!"

"I see." Beruka answered before carefully moving Camilla so she was leaning on her shoulder.

"All right, Corrin. Get out "of here before we change our minds! You just gave Lady Camilla hope... Don't go breaking her heart again!"

The blue haired assassin nodded. "Go ahead, Corrin. Hurry."

"Right. Thank you." Corrin watched as Camilla's retainers walked away before he continued talking. "And thank you, Camilla, for finally understanding my aim. This war is coming to an end... I promise."

I let a forced sigh out between my clenched teeth. "Man, I'm glad I didn't have to fight at all." Everyone turned around quickly, prepared to fight if necessary. Letting my eyes close and my head hang limply near my shoulder, I waved my hand that wasn't in the sling. "I'm not a threat, calm down."

"Teale, what're you-" I heard Corrin start to ask me before I promptly slid down the wall, passing out.

* * *

 _Oof, I hope this is satisfactory for now! I'm excited to finish Birthright, but I don't want to just rush through it and make the story seemed forced. If you think that's what I'm doing, please let me know and I'll look over it and take my time to revise and write another chapter._

 _Thank you for reading, and don't forget to review! Your input is important~_


	6. Tears of a Dragon

_Haha... I'm sorry for the delay with this chapter, I know I've kept some people waiting. I've been having troubles with my mental health and other than that, I've just been working a crap ton because I'm basically the only person available to open 4 out of 5 days a week._

 _...Wyatt, you're making excuses, just write the damn chapter._

 _To Andromeda, Jax Smallbine, and Guest, here I am with the update!_

* * *

Kneeling next to the unconscious prince, Sakura sighed. "I-it seems like he just passed out d-due to exhaustion. His arm isn't c-completely healed either..."

"So he rushed here from the Woods of the Forlorn without stopping for rest?" Corrin crouched down beside his little sister to look at Teale's unruly appearance. Dirt and dried blood had dried on multiple parts of his face, while his hair was slightly flattened from and sweat and the lack of grooming.

"Y-yes."

Corrin sighed, looking at Hinoka. "Do you think your pegasus could carry him for a little while? I'm sure that after Elise and Sakura heal him, he'll wake up within the hour. We need to keep moving. Felicia, if we come across any enemies, I need you to stay near Teale and protect him until he wakes up."

Both maid and pegasus knight nodded before jumping into action. Before they could move the prince, both princesses concentrated on fixing the damage done to his right arm and any fatigue that might have been present. Once they stepped back, Corrin heaved Teale up from the ground, Hinoka helping her brother place the Nohrian prince on he pegasus as she opted to walk, leading he steed with the reigns. Within no time, Corrin's army was marching once again through the tunnels under the castle.

Corrin breathed out, wiping sweat from his brow. "Whew... this passage just keeps on going, doesn't it? I'm beginning to worry that we made a wrong turn somewhere..."

"Believe it or not, I actually remember this part of the tunnel. So I think we're getting close."

"That's reassuring. Thank you, Azura. Although... this looks an awful lot like a dead end."

The blue haired princess shook her head. "No, look. There are stairs on one side. You just can't see them from this angle. The exit must be at the top."

"So. The heart of the Nohrian power is just above us. Perhaps a few of us should take a quick look. It might be reckless for all of us to burst into the palace at once..."

"Good idea. We're with you, Corrin."

Walking forward, Corrin shook his head. "Here goes nothing..." Coming up the stairs, Azura, Ryoma, and Corrin entered into an unfamiliar room, the sounds of swords clashing echoing.

"This isn't the throne room... Where are we?"

"It looks like a training facility. These soldiers are being put through their paces." Ryoma explained while he looked around.

"Well, at least we're in the castle." Corrin noted.

Ryoma nodded. "Yes. But of all the places the tunnel could have led... We're surrounded by Nohr's most elite soldiers!"

"Gods! Maybe they haven't noticed us yet. We should keep quiet..."

"Look, someone's coming!" Ryoma pointed out a figure entering the large training room.

"What are you idiots doing? This is a FULL CONTACT exercise! I want to see real blood! Get after it!"

"Yes, sir!"

Corrin's eyes widened. "That's Hans! It seems like Garon must have given him a promotion..."

"Yes. If I had to guess, he's in charge of this entire group."

"I'm not a vengeful person... but he killed Gunter right in front of me. I'd sure like to avenge his death."

"Well, well! What do we have here?" The three turned around to see a soldier in their full armor. "Captain Hans! Some intruders are hiding behind the statue!"

Hans grinned. "Great! Drag 'em out here- we'll use 'em for target practice. Wait..." As he looked at the intruders, the smile was replaced with a frown. "that's Corrin!"

The soldiers and their captain surrounded Corrin's small army quickly as Hans stared them down. "Hello, Hans." Corrin said plainly, a hand resting on his sword.

"How the hell did you get in here?" The bald man asked.

"I have nothing to say to a coward like you. I'd rather let Noble Yato do the talking."

Hans let out a loud laugh. "You'd threaten me in front of my own battalion? Oh, I'm going to enjoy this. Rip 'em apart, soldiers!"

Soldiers ran forward with weapons in their hands while they yelled. Within just a few moments, Nohrian soldiers started to fall like flies.

"Are all your soldiers this poorly trained, Hans? What will Garon think?"

Hans clicked his teeth in irritation. "Damn it... Don't be afraid of this pathetic child, soldiers! He's all talk! Sacrifice yourselves if need be. For King Garon's glory!"

"But, Captain..." A random soldier started to protest.

"What was that? Please, speak up, and I'll relay your comments to King Garon! I'm sure he'll be sympathetic to you and your family. Now SHUT UP and KILL THE INTRUDERS!" Listening to their captain, soldiers once again started to attack Azura, Ryoma, and Corrin.

As Corrin breathed heavily, Hans laughed at the princes and princess in front of him. "There's that pathetic crying baby I remember. Don't let up, soldiers! We've got him right where we want him."

"I'll show you who's pathetic." Corrin said as he glared at Hans.

"Ooh, look who learned to talk like a real soldier! We'll, you're not the only one who's gotten stronger. I'm King Garon's newest captain. Let me show you how I got my promotion." Hans bellowed as he lunged forward to Corrin, intending on striking the boy.

"Corrin, look out!" Ryoma yelled out.

Within the blink of an eye, something red and blue had lept in front of Corrin, blocking the axe from it's intended target. Corrin's eyes widened as he noticed what, or who, the object was as they fell onto the ground, not moving.

"Lilith! NO! Talk to me, Lilith!" When she didn't respond, Corrin growled in anger.

"Stupid bird! I'd have had him..." Hans shook his head. "Never mind. I won't miss again. I'll have your head off with the next swing- count on it!"

"You'll pay for this, Hans..." Corrin stated lowly, before he bared his teeth. "I'll kill you with my own two hands!"

* * *

I woke up to the sounds of steel clashing together. Forcing myself to open my eyes, I was greeted to the sight of the training facility in the castle, with multiple Nohrian soldiers already motionless on the ground. I pushed myself off the wall someone had leaned me on, scratching my head. When did I...?

"Stand down, Nohrians! Your captain has been defeated!" I looked up to see Ryoma standing with his arms crossed, talking to any remaining soldiers. "Drop your weapons, and your lives will be spared."

Soft murmurs from the soldiers erupted, as the tried to decide whether or not to continue fighting. One by one, weapons dropped to the ground.

"It looks like they're giving up." Takumi speculated.

"Good. Then we're done here."

Hinoka jogged over to her brothers. "Guys, we've got a problem. Lilith took quite a shot..."

"Gods, no..." Following their line of gaze, my eyes widened as I saw Corrin, Elise, and Sakura kneeling by a red and blue creature.

"Lilith... please open your eyes. Hans is dead, we finally got him." No response. "Please... You have to be okay!"

"She's too far gone for my rod to work. I don't think I can save her, Corrin..." Sakura quietly said.

"What?! No!"

Elise shook her head. "My staff isn't helping either. What do we do?"

"This can't be happening..." Tears started to fall from Corrin's face before a light shone in front of him, the maid Lilith now taking the place of the creature. "Lilith! You're... you're human again!"

Lilith coughed harshly before speaking. "Only for a moment, it seems... The Astral Dragon Moro has taken pity on me. It's giving me the strength to return to this form for my last few breaths..."

"Please don't say that! You're not going to die. You can't! Please! Stay with us!" I sighed lightly, quietly walking over to Corrin.

"I'm sorry, milord, but I'm not long for this world. Please don't cry. I decided to give my life for you, and I'm happy I succeeded. After all, you already saved my life once. This just makes us even. I die with no regrets."

"But... we could end the war today! You could live in a peaceful world... Don't give up!"

As I stood silently behind my brother, Lilith smiled. "It's okay, Lord Corrin. I know how far we've come. And I know you will succeed. I can die happy, remembering our time together and the progress we've made. Lord Corrin... be brave and go on without me." Lilith's eyes slowly closed before her body went limp in Corrin's arms, a smile on her face as if she was peacefully sleeping.

"Lilith... no. No..." Corrin wailed as he clutched the blue haired girl in his arms. I pressed my lips together, placing a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"Lilith... This can't be happening..."

"I'm so sorry... I couldn't s-save you..." Sakura and Elise quietly cried beside their brother.

Corrin shook his head. "What are we even fighting for? Is it worth it?"

"Look up, Corrin." Ryoma softly ordered, causing everyone to look at him.

"Ryoma?"

"Dry your tears. Think about Lilith's sacrifice. She gave her life so you could continue fighting. And what are we fighting for? We are fighting for peace! We are fighting for Queen Mikoto and for the whole world! Do you think Lilith would want you to give up like this?"

Corrin only groaned in response, urging Ryoma to continue. "Listen. It is time for you to rise to the occasion. If we want to end this war, now is the time for us to take action!"

"I'm just so tired. Tired of loss. Tired of death." Corrin sobbed, his words barely understandable.

"There will be a time for rest. But that time is not now. Rise up! The sacred blade Yato chose YOU, Corrin. We're all counting on you!"

I looked down at my little brother as he was silent for a moment before he quietly sighed. "You're right. I know you're right. I will not stop until King Garon's reign of terror is over. Let's go, everyone."

"That's the spirit." I muttered, softly shaking his shoulder as he stood up.

"Father's room is this way, Corrin. Please promise you'll try talking first." Elise looked up at our brother with her teary yet determined eyes.

"I will." Corrin was silent for a moment before he smiled. "Thank you, Lilith. And good bye for now.

Sighing, I looked up towards the sky as soft flakes of snow fell down, as if the gods themselves were crying for the loss of Lilith.

* * *

 _I am once again very sorry for the long delay and the short chapter, I wasn't really motivated to write anything for a little bit and my mental health has been everywhere; and I thought that this would be a good point to stop, since Lilith's death was really sad to me and I can make you guys wait in suspense(but hopefully not for anymore than a month...). And for my mental health, I'm sure I need to go back to my psychiatrist because my moods have been running wild, honestly._

 _I'll try not to make anymore excuses for not writing, and I'll try my best to continue this story so we can move onto Conquest!_


	7. Xander

_OwO, what's this? Oi'm updating this stowy?_

 _... Y'all can leave if you want, I understand after that comment._

 _Once again, I'm sorry I haven't been updating this story that often; I've been trying to get my car working so I can get another job, and my first job has me working 5 days a week and then some weekends. ((all for $4 an hour and tips;;;)) And I'm sorry to inform you, but even if you review multiple times, asking me to update, it's not really that simple; although I wish it was._

 _Thank you to Andromeda for the reviews, and let's get on with the story!_

* * *

"I'm going on ahead." I stated as I adjusted my arm guards. "There's a chance that more soldiers will be waiting for you."

"But if we go together-"

I cut Corrin off by raising my hand. "I'm sorry, but I don't plan on fighting with you. How do you think it would look if I came storming the castle with you and your Hoshidan siblings? If I survived, I would be killed for treason. I would be turning my back on my brothers and sisters here, Corrin. Though I appreciate you sparing my life and healing my wounds, I can't stay."

"You're right." Corrin agreed after a few moments of silence. "Perhaps after the war, we can stand together again."

"Possibly." I smiled as I wrapped an arm around my brother. "May the gods be with you." As we said our goodbyes, I headed towards the throne room. As much as I wanted to fight with my brother, I just couldn't stand turning my back on Xander and my other siblings; they wouldn't think twice about executing me on the spot. To Leo and Elise, I was the strong older brother and to Xander and Camilla; the sweet younger brother. To imagine their faces painted with betrayal and sadness wasn't something I wanted to dwell on. It felt like mere moments I had been walking when someone had snapped me away from my thoughts.

"Lord Teale, how reassuring that you've returned unharmed!" I looked up to see Iago with a small smirk on his lips. "After you disappeared, we were worried; even more so when Lord Leo returned without you."

I shook my head, quickly making up my mind. "I was merely gathering information from the Hoshidan army. They're not too far behind me in these catacombs."

Iago hummed to himself. "And Lady Elise?"

"She's also with Corrin and his army. I believe I can safely assume she won't be easily persuaded to come back to our side."

"Truly unfortunate... Milord, might I suggest you carry on towards the throne room? I'm sure your father will be happy of your return; not to mention you won't have to dirty your hands when that Corrin and his army come marching."

"Thank you, Iago. As always, your insight is most welcome." I stated before walking past him. Lightly rolling my eyes, I slowly started to climb the stone stairs that led out of the catacombs and into the castle.

* * *

"Teale, you're alright!" I sighed with a small smile as I heard Xander call out to me. "You disappeared so suddenly; everyone was sick with worry."

"My apologies, I wasn't myself after I heard news of Flora... So I followed Leo to the Woods of the Forlorn, got myself injured, and now I'm back." Dropping my smile, I hardened my gaze towards my brother. "Unfortunately, Corrin and his allies are headed this way. I passed Iago on my way here, but I doubt that he'll be able to stop them at the rate they're going."

"Is that so..." Xander mumbled to himself before turning to his retainers behind him. "Laslow, Peri..I must speak with you two."

"Yes, Lord Xander!" Laslow responded, a hand on his chest. "I assume this is about Lord Corrin and his allies. Where will we be engaging the enemy?"

"Ooh, I can't wait for them to get here!" Peri squealed in excitement. "When does the stabby party begin?!"

"The two of you will remain here. This isn't your fight." He responded, which didn't hold well with a certain blood crazed knight.

"What?! But I wanna spill someone's blood! This is important!" The blue and pink haired girl pouted, crossing her arms.

"Are you concerned that we're not up to the task, milord?" Laslow questioned, an eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

Xander shook his head. "No, that's not it at all. I have full faith in both of you, as ever. However, I must face Corrin in single combat. That is the only way to limit unnecessary casualties. Enough blood has been spilled. That's why I need you two to remain here. Help keep the Nohrian soldiers at bay."

"I see. But, milord... how do you know that Corrin will agree to your terms?" Laslow questioned. "I don't trust those Hoshido brigands one bit. We should be nearby... just in case.

"I agree! That way I can pop out and kill anyone you need me to!"

"I won't say this again. You are to stay behind in this room. Period." Xander commanded in a harsh voice that made

"Aww..."

"But, Lord Xander..."

"Look. I trust the two of you, more than you even know. That is why I'm asking you to help me in this way." Xander smiled at both of his retainers. "We've fought valiantly together, and I will always cherish my memories with you both."

"Why are you saying these things? This isn't good bye..." Laslow stated, his brows now pulled down in confusion.

Peri nodded. "Yeah... I don't like this."

"I'm afraid we're out of time. I must go."

I stepped forward. "Brother, please let me go with you."

"No. I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that, Teale."

"Wait, Lord Xander..."

Xander quickly silenced Peri before she could continue. "No! You're not allowed to leave this room. Is that clear?" The hallways were quiet for a moment, letting Xander's orders echo for a brief moment.

"Yes, milord..." Laslow adamantly agreed, putting a hand to his chest once again while closing his eyes. Without another word, I watched sadly as Xander made his way down the hall to meet Corrin and his army.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be... What's going on, Laslow?" Peri turned to her fellow retainer, tears starting to run down her face in black streaks.

"I don't know. But we must follow Lord Xander's orders..."

I looked at the ground in dismay as so many thoughts went through my head. The way Xander was talking sounded as if he wasn't planning on returning to us. He told us to stay here, so we have to follow his orders, but...

The sounds of metal clashing made me shake my head. "Laslow, Peri."

"Yes, milord?"

I looked at the dancer before me, jaw slightly clenched. "I will go follow my brother. Follow me within five minutes."

"But Lord Xander said-"

"I'm sorry, but _fuck_ what Xander said!" Both retainers seemed shocked at my choice of words. "I'm here now, and you will follow my orders."

"Understood. Make haste, Lord Teale." Laslow nodded, a determined expression on his face.

Without a second thought, I started running with all my might towards the fighting. A heavy feeling started to settle in my gut, telling me that something was wrong. Xander was strong, but so was Corrin, so who would win this meaningless fight?

"Very well. You will die fighting for your cause. I shall defend my homeland!" I heard Xander shout as he came into view, his sword raised high in the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone run out in front of Corrin, completely blocking the slash meant for Corrin. My eyes widened as time seemed to slow down, Elise falling to the ground with an unreadable expression.

"ELISE!" I shouted, making myself run faster than before. At the same time, I had reached her side as Xander held her up in a sitting position.

"Elise! Please! Speak to me!" Xander's voice was frantic as he carefully held her up. I dropped down onto my knees, taking off my cape to hold it to her wound.

Elise slowly opened her eyes with a small gasp of pain. "Xander... Your sword... Lay it down for me." I heard Xander gasp, tears gathering in my eyes when I noticed that her blood was starting to seep through the thick fabric. "Nohr needs more from you. Not just your strength..."

"Elise, please..." I begged as she paused to grain in pain. I lifted my left hand and placed it on her right cheek as she softly smiled at me. "Don't go..."

"What we need... is caring... and a warm hand... and tears." She carefully lifted one of the hands Xander was using to support her back and placed it softly onto her face as Xander started to tear up. Slow, she lifted one of her hands to place on his cheek to wipe away the tears that now fell freely down his face. "That's the way. Try to be at peace." She trailed off, her hand falling before it could even brush her fingers on his cheek, her body becoming limp as a tear fell down her cheek.

I fell backwards from my crouching position, loosely holding onto my bloodstained cape. Without saying a word, Xander carefully handed me Elise as if she were sleeping. I cradled her to my chest as I stared at the ground in front of me. From the corners of my vision, I saw my brother stand up and draw his sword.

"Elise, please... Wake up! You can't die like this!" Corrin begged as he was on his hands and knees, on the floor only a few feet away. I looked at Elise's face as tears started to fall onto her cheeks.

"Get up, Corrin. Let's end this." Xander stated in a monotone voice.

Corrin looked up from the ground, tears staining his face. "How can you keep fighting like nothing's happened?! Elise just died in your arms trying to stop us from fighting. Yet you just want to pick right up where we left off?"

"I... I know. That's why this fight will be our last. Now, get up." I looked up at Xander, noticing that his hand was shaking ever so slightly. "NOW!"

"All she wanted was peace and for us to be a family again... She hated seeing us fight... Please, Big Brother!" Corrin pleaded.

"Don't make me say it again. Draw your sword, Corrin." When Corrin didn't move, I jumped when Xander started to yell. "NOW."

"Brother..." Corrin was silent for a moment before he pushed himself off the ground. "Fine. As you wish. I guess... you're not the brother I remember, Xander. Elise... I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. And it doesn't look like I'll be able to make your last wish come true, either. But I can still end this war. I can still bring peace to our kingdoms. Xander. You taught me to be brace. You taught me how to wield power. The time has come for me to show you what I've learned. If you have any last words, now's the time!" He ended with a shout.

I barely registered the sounds of footsteps coming from the hallway behind me before I heard Peri's voice. "Lord Xander! Is everything okay?"

"Is... is that Lady Elise? What happened to her?" I heard Laslow quietly ask from over my shoulder. My response was to only grip onto Elise tighter.

"I told you two to stay out of this! What are you doing here?" Xander yelled, looking at his retainers with worry.

"Milord, we both had such a bad feeling about this whole thing... And other than Lord Teale commanding us to come, we thought it better to risk punishment than regret inaction." Laslow explained, holding his sword tightly.

"Besides, they must have double crossed you!" Peri added on. "Which one of you did this to Lady Elise? I'll gut you!"

I cringed as I heard Peri's threat when Xander started to argue. "No, Elise was..." He sighed in frustration. "As I commanded before, stay out of this! That is an order!"

"No way! Like Laslow said, we don't care if you're mad. We want to make sure you don't get killed! So we brought some troops."

"Against your orders if necessary... we will protect you, milord." Laslow promised. "Nothing will change our minds on this."

I looked up at the two retainers that were so willing to protect my brother. "Please, be careful..." I weakly asked. Laslow merely looked down and smiled at me as if there wasn't a battle about to start.

"Don't worry, milord. We'll be fine."

You say that but... Why can't I help but feel like that everything will go downhill once again?

* * *

 _I'm sorry for the delay, I've been getting really busy and I had a bit of writers block. Review and let me know if you liked it! Hopefully I can get the next chapter out within a month!_


	8. Dawn Breaks

_Here I am again! I saw monamonalisa17's review and I honestly just had to come back to this story instead of eating my Smartfood popcorn._

 _Thank you to Andromeda for reviewing as well!_

* * *

"You know what my favorite memory is?" Xander asked as he sat, leaning against the wall. "Sharing a laugh with you, Elise, Camilla, Teale, and Leo around the dinner table. I think Leo had his boots on the wrong feet that day... In my heart I have so many memories of us siblings laughing together... Those were the happiest days of my life."

"Then why did it have to end this way? Why did we have to fight?! If you had just listened to Elise, or to me... Neither of you would have had to die!" Corrin questioned, crouching down in front of his dying brother.

"You can't throw your life away on 'if only,' little prince. You chose a path... but I never had that choice. I am the Crown Prince of Nohr. My fate was sealed the day I was born."

"Xander..."

"I'd like to think that things could have turned out differently in another world. We could have ended the war together, fighting side by side." Xander paused as he harshly coughed.

"Xander! Stay with me!"

"I'm here, Corrin. I... I'm sorry... I let you slip away from me. As crown prince... I didn't have the option of picking sides like you, or Leo, Teale, or the rest. So, I really did intend to kill you for the good of Nohr." The blond prince shook his head with a sour smile on his face. "But in the end... I did what I always told you not to do. I let my feelings overrule my duty. In the end, it was my my undoing. Is that... Is that justice?"

"That's not fair, Xander! You think you can just say something like that and die on me? I'll never be as good as you, Xander... I see that now. I've always looked up to you... You can't leave me!"

"You have already prevailed, little prince. Don't you see? I couldn't lead this world... or Nohr... into peace. But you... you can. And you will. You can do the things I couldn't. That's how you'll surpass me... In the end..."

"Xander..."

"I'm counting on you, Corrin. Father... Garon... he's... he's..." He coughed once again, blood starting to stain his teeth. "He's not what he used to be..."

"Xander... I think I understand. I promise to stop him!"

"Thank you, Corrin. Now, it's time... to say goodbye... Please... don't cry..."

"No... Xander?" When he didn't answer, Corrin screamed. "XANDER!" He started to sob, seeing his once unbeatable brother lay limp against the wall.

"Corrin..." Azura whispered softly, a frown on her face. After a moment, Corrin stopped crying and stood tall.

"I... I suppose we have to keep going. It's what they would have wanted. If I stayed here crying, Xander would have g-gently scolded me. To honor their sacrifices, I must carry on their honorable legacy. I must be a light in the dark, just like Elise was... And I must be a kind and determined leader..." He paused to shakily inhale through his nose. "Just like Xander. If we can't stop King Garon, then all this death will have been in vain... Come on, everyone. It's time."

"You can do this, Corrin."

"Thank you, Azura. Everyone... we're almost at the end. King Garon awaits. Xander... Elise... I hope you both know how much I love you. I promise to make you proud... and to end this senseless war for good!"

* * *

I limply stood, my back leaning against the wall. I had watched Xander and Corrin fight, watched my older brother fall; watched him take his final breath from afar. Laslow and Peri were fine, distraught over their prince's death. I looked over at Corrin and Azura as he finally stood. I silently sighed, lazily pushing myself off the wall to walk over to them. Reaching out, I put a hand on my sister's shoulder, causing her to look at me.

"I need to talk to you, alone; before you go to Garon." She nodded, looking back at Corrin to see that he nodded. I grabbed her hand, pulling her over to where I was standing. Looking into her eyes, I could see the curiosity and confusion starting to surface. If it were anyone else looking at her, she would look normal, but to me...

She looked _so tired..._

"You don't plan to stay in this world much longer." I said, coming out as a statement rather than a question.

Her eyes widened as I watched her shoulders grow rigid. "How do you-"

"You can't hide it from me, sister." I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "To think that I'll lose three siblings today... What an unjust war."

"Teale, promise me." I felt her place her hands on either side of my face so I would look at her. "Please, continue living; help Corrin on this path."

My stomach clenched hearing her words. There was no way that I could so easily promise her something I knew I- "I promise." She sadly smiled as she slightly tilted her head.

"You're still a terrible liar."

"I'm sorry... I..." My eyes started to sting as Azura pulled me into a tight embrace.

"What will you do?"

Weakly, I shrugged my shoulders. "I do not know. Perhaps I'll just disappear with the wind, travel the world. But, before I do, I have a request."

"Yes?"

"Let me see you smile once more, so I can inscribe that into my memory." We pulled away from each other, Azura looking into my eyes.

"Then, smile for me too." At the same time she smiled, I felt the corners of my mouth start to tug upwards. "You are truly the best brother I could have asked for."

I laughed as tears had slipped from my eyes. "And you, the best sister."

With a smile still on my face, I watched as Corrin and his army marched through the corridor to finally end this war. When they were out of my sight, I turned and started to walk towards a secret entrance that I knew about. I huffed out a laugh, knowing that if Elise knew of it, she would have snuck in and out of my room whenever she pleased. Elise wouldn't have told anyone either; she kept secrets surprisingly well for such a young and talkative girl.

Silently, I opened the door that was hidden in the walls of my room. Just as I left it; a complete and utter mess. At least I had mostly left my desk alone. I shook my head with a huff, carefully stepping over broken glass and any clothes I had thrown. Picking up my chair, I sat it upright before sitting down in it at my desk. Smoothing out a piece of paper, I grabbed a quill and dipped it into whatever ink I hadn't splashed on the walls or floors.

Once I was satisfied with what I wrote, I neatly set the quill on the paper before lifting the circlet that I had worn for many years. I set it on the desk, getting up from the chair and walking towards the door. I paused, looking back at the distressed room. No doubt the maids or butlers would be mad that I left it like this. Mentally apologizing, I opened the door before walking out into the hallway, leaving the room I had grown up in.

* * *

"Camilla! Leo! I'm so glad you could make it today." Corrin smiled at seeing the two Nohrian nobles.

"Of course. It wouldn't do for Hoshido's newest allies to miss Ryoma's coronation, would it?" Leo smiled as he crossed his arms.

"Well, I suppose not. But I know you've both been busy since the war ended. I'm so happy to see both of you!"

"You too, Corrin." The blond shifted his weight. "Although I can't say I'm fully comfortable walking around in Hoshido just yet."

"Leo, I assure you-"

"Oh please, Leo." Camilla interrupted. "What about when you were milling around the outdoor market this morning? Remember? You were going on about how great it was to see Corrin again?"

Leo whipped his head towards his sister, cheeks starting to turn red. "Camilla!"

The purple haired princess laughed. "Anyway, it's wonderful to see you, Corrin. But I must admit that the loss of Xander and Elise still weighs heavily on me... How are you holding up?"

"I think about them every day. Their deaths will be a burden I carry for the rest of my life."

Ryoma nodded his head. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Those who fell in the war will never be forgotten. We won't easily forget how many lives were lost to Hoshidan blades... All we can do to atone is prevent such war from ever happening again."

"Right you are." Camilla stated.

"Were it within my power as king, my first act would be to bring back your siblings. And Azura as well..."

Sakura sighed. "Oh... I miss Azura so much..."

"I didn't spend enough time with her when she was alive." Hinoka added on with a sniffle.

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Again with the crying? Look, it may have taken me a while to warm up to Azura, but in the end... I... I really miss her, too." He said as he put a hand over his mouth to hide the fact that he was starting to tear up.

"Now we've done it. Even Takumi is crying." Corrin sighed.

"You guys are going to need to hold it together at my coronation. Okay? We can't have all of Nohr thinking that Hoshidans are moved so easily to tears."

Corrin tilted his head in confusion. "YOUR coronation? But I thought Teale was next in line..."

"You... don't know?" Camilla softly asked. "Teale had disappeared shortly after Xander's passing..."

"What?! But where did he go? WHY would he go?"

Leo shook his head. "We don't know. He left a note, but we couldn't gleam much from it."

 _"Teale?" Camilla knocked on the door. "I'm coming in." As she opened the door, she was confronted with a room that was completely ransacked. Almost nothing was spared, but the desk and chair that went with it. Curiosity had gained the best of her, as Camilla walked over to the desk to see a note with a familiar circlet holding the letter in place._

 _I'm sorry, perhaps I'll return one day._

 _Quickly, she grabbed the note and Teale's circlet as she turned towards the door, only to stop when she saw a scabbard she saw almost every day. She walked over and picked it up, realizing that Teale had left his precious sword, Mercym, behind._

"We couldn't find him anywhere." Camilla sadly stated. "All we can hope for is that he comes back like he said he would."

"Teale..." Corrin looked down at the ground, clenching his fists. "He talked with Azura shortly before we went to Garon. You don't think that they knew what they were going to do after that final battle, do you...?"

"Who's to say?" Leo sighed. "Camilla was next in line for the crown, but she begged me to take her place."

"And he has graciously accepted." Camilla finished with a smile. "I have no desire to run a kingdom."

"So there you have it. You should know that I have big plans for Nohr. I think a little friendly competition with Hoshido will be good for both of us. And on that note, I'm quite busy... so it's time I said my goodbyes."

"I'll join you. Everyone, I look forward to seeing you at the coronation ceremony in Nohr!" The purple haired princess smiled once more.

"Thank you, Camilla. We'll be there." Corrin smiled as he watched the siblings he grew up with walked away. "And off they go..."

"Yes, but you'll see them again soon. They are your siblings, after all." Ryoma put a hand on Corrin's shoulder, slightly shaking him.

"Too bad they're leaving so soon." Hinoka smiled. "They're going to miss the festival!"

Corrin tilted his head in confusion, making Hinoka gasp in realization.

"That's right... I forgot you've never see a Hoshidan festival before. It's kind of like... the biggest party you can imagine. So put all those sad feelings on the back burner... and get ready to DANCE!"

"That sounds like just the thing. We could all stand to let off some steam."

Sakura put her hands together in excitement. "Oh, it's been so long since we've had a proper festival... I can't w-wait!"

"Just try not to embarrass yourselves this time, guys." Takumi crossed his arms towards his siblings. "You're members of the royal family!"

As they continued to talk amongst one another, Corrin smiled at what fun was about to come their way.

Standing on a hill that overlooked the palace, a figure with a cloak smiled before turning away and disappearing into the soft sunset; all the while humming a familiar tune that was lost in the wind.

* * *

 _I really hope you guys enjoyed it, I can't wait to start Conquest! Thank you for supporting me!_


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